Greater Sand Plover Found in Shennongjia

On May 15, 2022, the staff of the Scientific Research Institute of Shennongjia National Park found two Greater Sand Plovers in Dajiuhu. This is the third species of wild birds newly recorded in Shennongjia this year.

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) is a wetland water bird with long bill, white forehead and rufous breast. Its white wing bars can be obviously seen when flying. It often inhabits seashores, estuaries, swamps and nearby desert grasslands.

In February of this year, the staff found Rusty Laughingthrush (Garrulax poecilorhynchus) in Muyu Town. And in April, Oriental Dotterel (Charadrius veredus) was found in Dajiuhu. So far, 451 species of wild birds have been recorded in Shennongjia.

During this investigation, the staff also found national first-class and second-class key protected birds such as Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola), Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), and Oriental Honey-buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus). (By Liu Hanze, Zhang Ran, Ma Guofei)