The Caofeidian Wetland, which lies in Tangshan, Hebei Province, is an important place for migratory(迁徙的) birds. It was reported in the newspaper on November 9, 2020 that more than2, 000 oriental white storks(东方白鹳), a rare kind of migratory bird, were found there.
In order to watch oriental white storks, I went to the Caofeidian Wetland on November 10, 2020. Luckily, as soon as I got there, I noticed a large number of them looking for food in the swamps(沼泽). I couldn't get close, so I used a pair of binoculars to see them more clearly.
They were about 1.2 metres tall with long hard black beaks(喙) and broad wings. They had long red legs and a long thin neck. Their bodies were covered with white feathers, while their wings were grey and black. They looked so beautiful that I couldn't help taking many photos of them. The oriental white storks used to be common in East Asia several hundred years ago. They lived in wetlands and fed mainly on small fish. In winter, they flew to the wetlands along the Changjiang River in China.
However, as the human population grew larger and larger, the space for them became less and less. They couldn't find enough food to eat. Worse still, some people killed them illegally(非法地). As a result, their population has become very small. At present, there are only about 9, 000 oriental white storks in the world. They are in great danger.
The good news is that they are now strictly protected by law. And more and more people have already realized the importance of protecting them.
