初冬時節,蘆葦蕩漾,流水澹澹,鳥鳴啁啾……告別了色彩斑斕的金秋,黃河三角洲國家級自然保護區迎來了一年中最為熱鬧的時節,呈現出一片欣欣向榮的景象。數以萬計的飛鳥陸續抵達,在這里捕食、棲息、翱翔,它們的到來,為這里注入了新的活力與生機。
黃河三角洲國家級自然保護區,地處渤海之濱,東營市境內,新、老黃河入海口兩側,是中國最年輕的陸地。這里不僅是黃河入海之處,更是成千上萬候鳥的棲息之所。
黃河帶來的大量泥沙,讓保護區擁有了世界上最完整的濕地生態系統。鳥類作為濕地生態系統中的關鍵物種,是檢驗生態環境的“晴雨表”?!皾竦睾貌缓??鳥兒說了算?!苯涍^多年來的治理保護,保護區新增淡水沼澤濕地7.4萬畝,總面積超過30萬畝。
曾經白茫茫的鹽堿地變成綠洲,為鳥類繁衍生息提供了多樣棲息地,是國內外專家贊譽的“鳥類的國際機場”。鳥類由建區之初的187種,增加到了目前的373種,其中有38種水鳥的種群數量超過全球總量的1%。根據監測,東方白鸛、黑嘴鷗等關鍵物種的繁殖數量呈穩定增加趨勢,保護區內越來越多的候鳥變成了“留鳥”。今年6月,世界瀕危動物、國家一級保護鳥類、有著“鳥中大熊貓”之稱的黑臉琵鷺也在保護區成功孵育出兩只幼鳥寶寶。
今年7月成功入選世界自然遺產的黃河口候鳥棲息地,就位于保護區內,為東亞—澳大利西亞遷飛通道上的候鳥提供了重要棲息地。這條遷徙通道由北極經東南亞,一直延伸至大洋洲,縱貫22個國家。

保護區不僅是鳥類的天堂,還是其他野生動植物的樂園。獨特的地理位置和生態環境,吸引了各種各樣的生物在此繁衍生息。這里保留8GXteXLAEqJhZnPmiPGFMA==了中國乃至世界上最具代表性的河口濕地植物帶狀分布格局,同時也是野大豆、鹽地堿蓬、檉柳等重要物種的天然基因庫與種質資源庫。每年秋天,恣意生長的鹽地堿蓬在秋風的吹拂下,呈現出濃烈的紅色,仿佛為黃河三角洲濕地鋪上了一層“紅地毯”。此外,消失多年的黃河刀魚、罕見的江豚、斑海豹等珍稀物種重現黃河口灣區,20種獸類、6種兩棲、512種昆蟲等生物物種以水為脈、和平共處,在這片樂土自由地生活,繁衍生息。


優美的自然環境,良好的生態系統,不斷豐富的生物物種,黃河三角洲國家級自然保護區已然成為中國向世界遞出的一張“生態名片”。眼下,山東正全力推進黃河口國家公園建設,將黃河三角洲國家級自然保護區以及黃河口海洋生物重要產卵場等區域納入保護范圍。黃河口生態保護不斷提檔升級,正是中國生態文明體制不斷健全完善的生動寫照。
編輯/魏偉

Thousands of Birds Fly Over the Yellow River
Located on the shore of the Bohai Sea in Dongying, and on both sides of the old and new Yellow River estuary, the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve is China’s youngest land. It is not only the Yellow River estuary, but also a habitat of thousands of migratory birds.
After years of regulation and protection, the nature reserve has been expanded with 4,933.33 hectares of freshwater marshlands(wetlands), and its total area exceeds 20,000 hectares.
The number of bird species in the nature reserve has increased from 187 to 373, among which, the population of 38 water bird species accounts for over 1% of the global total. According to monitoring, the breeding number of such keystone species as Oriental White Storks(Ciconia boyciana) and Saunders’Gulls (Larus saundersi) shows a steady increasing trend, and a growing number of migratory birds in the nature reserve have become“resident birds”. In June this year, the Black-Faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), as one of endangered animals in the world under national first-class protection and “Panda among Birds”, successfully incubated two nestlings in the nature reserve.
The Yellow River Estuary Migratory Bird Habitat, which was listed as a World Natural Heritage site in July this year, is located in the nature reserve, providing an important habitat for migratory birds on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. This flyway stretches across 22 countries from the North Pole to Oceania by way of Southeast Asia.
The nature reserve retains China and the world’s most iconic zonal distribution pattern of estuarine wetland plants, and is a natural gene pool and a genetic resource pool of wild soybeans, Suaeda salsa, Tamarix chinensis, and other important species. Long-lost Yellow Rives+4HVin7QIzUPN1kQfAFtA==r Coilia ectenes, rare finless porpoise, harbor seals, and other rare species have reappeared in the Yellow River estuary bay area. 20 species of beasts, six species of amphibians, 512 species of insects and other biological species coexisting peacefully in reliance upon water, live and multiply freely in this paradise.
