More Beijing Swifts, typical cavity-nesting birds that often nest inside holes and crevices in old buildings, have been observed in modern buildings across Beijing, showcasing China's efforts to preserve biodiversity.
The Beijing Swift is an iconic bird synonymous with the capital city since ancient times. The migratory birds were usually found nesting in high buildings with eaves such as city gatehouses and imperial garden buildings. They can be seen at the Forbidden City, the Lama Temple and the Summer Palace from mid-April to July every year.
"The chirps of Beijing Swifts and their circling around gate towers evoke nostalgia for Beijing residents. It is also an urban symbol of Beijing. Since 2018, we have conducted research and implemented protection measures for Beijing Swifts at Zhengyang Gate, also known as Qianmen Gate," said Yuan Xuejun, a researcher at the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Center.
"Old buildings are ideal for Beijing Swift nesting due to their heat preservation capacity and weatherproofing. These structures even shield the swifts from natural predators like crows. We marked their nests before repairing Zhengyang Gate and preserved their original access routes. This year's observations confirm that these repairs did not disrupt their habitat," said Yuan.
As Beijing accelerates efforts to build an ecological civilization, integrating its natural environment and diverse wildlife, including Beijing Swifts, into the bustling megacity of over 20 million inhabitants has become a priority.
"The Beijing Swift population has increased from three to four thousand a decade ago to over 10,000 today. Not only has their population grown, but the number of suitable habitats has also expanded from around twenty observation points to over a hundred," said Zhang Yaqiong, deputy chief of the education section at the Beijing Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
Beijing Swifts thrive as China boosts biodiversity conservation efforts
Persistent heavy rainfall has led to rising water levels across the Yangtze River basin, creating significant flood control challenges for the areas along the main streams and tributaries.
The Three Gorges Reservoir, located upstream on the Yangtze in central China's Hubei Province, has been gradually reducing its discharge rate to alleviate pressure on downstream areas. On Thursday, the outflow was reduced from 24,000 cubic meters per second to 18,000 cubic meters per second and was further lowered to 14,000 cubic meters per second on Friday. This has caused the reservoir level to rise by approximately 2.9 meters, storing 1.46 billion cubic meters of floodwater.
One of the Yangtze's major tributaries, the Zijiang River in central China's Hunan Province, has also experienced significant flooding. The Shaoyang hydrological station recorded water levels exceeding the warning level, triggering the fourth flood event of this year on Zijiang.
The Miluo River, another river flowing through Hunan, flows from east to west into Dongting Lake before joining the Yangtze River. On Monday afternoon, the water level at the Pingjiang hydrological station on the Miluo River hit 77 meters, exceeding the warning level by about seven meters.
Torrential rains have affected over 200,000 people in Pingjiang County, with more than 1,000 roads and bridges damaged and public transportation disrupted. No casualties have been reported so far.
In east China's Anhui Province, the town of Huikou in Susong County is the first town the Yangtze enters as it flows into Anhui. Water levels at the Huikou hydrological station have been rising continuously, exceeding the warning level by about one meter by Monday afternoon. The water levels along the main course of the Yangtze River in the province have all exceeded the flood warning levels and continue to rise.
Additionally, 19 tributaries including the Shuiyang River, Chuhe River, and Xihe River have also surpassed their respective warning levels.
Yangtze River basin battles severe flooding after intense rainfall
