Xiangyang Daily (Liu Xiaoqing, the All-media Journalist, and Liu Yi and Mao Xiang, the Correspondents) Recently, during routine patrol and monitoring activities, staff members of the Wanyangzhou National Wetland Park Administration Department in Yicheng City, Xiangyang, Hubei Province, observed two tundra swans playing and foraging in the wetland waters. The swans glided gracefully across the surface and occasionally ascended into the sky with powerful wingbeats, forming a harmonious ecological tableau that complemented the surrounding natural scenery.

The tundra swan is classified as a second-class national protected species, primarily feeding on aquatic plants and migrating southward to spend the winter months starting in October each year. Recently, staff members captured images of both tundra swans and bean geese appearing together “in the same frame.” Both species are recognized as second-class national protected species and exhibit high sensitivity to water quality. The reappearance of tundra swans in the Wanyangzhou National Wetland Park indicates a continuous improvement in the park’s ecological environment.

The Wanyangzhou National Wetland Park in Yicheng covers a total area of 2,466 hectares. Each year during the migratory bird season, a significant number of birds stop here to rest. To date, the park has recorded 114 bird species, including four first-class national protected species (such as the scaly-sided merganser, black stork, Baer’s pochard, and Oriental stork) and eleven second-class national protected species. This makes it a true “paradise for migratory birds.”