Protecting Migratory Birds with Video Technology

A DEDICATED TEAM of conservation specialists is at work to protect migratory birds in Shanghai, China. They monitor the site and bird populations with advanced video perception equipment which now assists in bird watching and providing a scientific basis for ecological protection been adapted to the task.

The Beibayao Wetland in the Dongtan Reserve in Shanghai, located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, provides food, shelter, and breeding grounds for nearly one million migratory birds each year. To ensure that Beibayao Wetland continues to meet the needs of its feathered visitors, a team of rangers, engineers and other specialists continually monitor the site and the bird populations. In recent years, the company Hikvision joined with the One Planet Foundation to protect the birds in Beibayao Wetland, which is a work area of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Among this dedicated team at the Reserve is Liu Jieyun, a WWF project specialist. According to Jieyun, managing the site and optimizing the habitat for the birds is a unique and complex task. It is critical to check, for example, that the water level at the site, the available exposed land, the vegetation, and other environmental factors, are conducive to the wellbeing of the visiting migratory birds. What’s more, Jieyun constantly monitors the behavior of the birds, counting the number of species present to understand and report on trends in their populations and diversity.

“The ultimate goal is to manage this wetland as well as possible and to ensure that it continues to function as a place where birds can stop, rest, spend the winter, and breed,” Jieyun says. “However, constantly monitoring the reserve and getting a close-up view of their behaviours, particularly their reproductive cycle, can be very difficult.”

PTZ (pan tilt zoom) cameras are being used to capture close-up images of birds and their behavior to support and enhance conservation efforts. At night or in low-light conditions, thermal dome cameras play a critical role in the continuous monitoring. Jieyun and the conservation team have captured incredible images of birds at the reserve, underlining the value of the site for multiple species. For example, the team has seen Kentish plovers wet their abdomens with muddy water to cool down hatchlings in their nests, and recorded images of birds fishing to feed their young.

The conversation team works tirelessly to ensure that the Dongtan Reserve meets the needs of visiting bird populations. Jieyun and other specialists say bird species recorded in Beibayao Wetland has increased from 150 to more than 200.

There are some star species, including the spoon-billed sandpiper, a species with fewer than 500 individuals remaining in the world. They’ve also seen laughing gulls, curly-feathered pelicans, Chinese crested terns, and other rare birds.