As learned from the Administrative Bureau of the Nationally Designated Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve, starting from next year experts from China, Japan and S.Korea will collaborate in implementing the Saunders'Gull Breeding Center Nursing Project in the Yellow River Delta region.

It was learned that Saunders'Gull is in class II of the national list of protected birds in China and is one of the endangered species in the world. There are only about 7,000 of them worldwide. They are distributed in East Asia inhabiting mainly wetlands. In late March Saunders'Gulls begin to migrate to the Yellow River Delta.

In recent years due to precipitation, climate changes and some human factors the Saunders'Gull's breeding area are shrinking and its population is decreasing markedly. Observations show that in the Guangli River tributary estuary the number of Saunders'Gull has declined from more than 1,400 to less than 200. Some aboriginal breeding areas were made into fishponds and hunting and bird egg-picking by local people is rampant.

By People's Daily Online