Rare birds boost Mengjin's bird-watching economy

Rare birds boost Mengjin's bird-watching economy

孟津黄河湿地珍稀鸟类助推“观鸟经济”

"Wow! So many black storks! They're gorgeous!" With winter arriving, over 70 black storks, the so-called "giant pandas of birds", have flocked to the Mengjin Yellow River Wetland Reserve in Luoyang city, Central China's Henan province, attracting bird enthusiasts from across China, including Beijing, Liaoning, Hubei and Hunan.

“哇，这么多的黑鹳，太漂亮了！”入冬后，孟津黄河湿地保护区内迎来了70余只越冬的“鸟中大熊猫”黑鹳，吸引了来自北京、辽宁、湖北、湖南等全国各地的鸟类爱好者前来拍摄。

With the steady improvement of its ecology and biodiversity, the Mengjin Yellow River Wetland Reserve has been attracting an increasing number of visitors to observe birds and enjoy the natural scenery. So far, 331 bird species have been recorded here, including 73 that are under national protection. During the peak season, the number of birds in the reserve can exceed 150,000.

孟津黄河湿地生态环境近年来持续改善，生物多样性显著增加，越来越多的人选择来此观鸟和游玩。目前保护区记录到鸟类331种，其中国家重点保护鸟类73种，高峰期鸟类总数可达15万余只。

In January, a European velvet duck was spotted in the reserve, the first-ever sighting in Henan and only the fifth recorded in China. The bird stayed in the reserve for nearly two months, attracting numerous bird enthusiasts and photographers nationwide.

今年1月，来自欧洲的“稀客”丝绒海番鸭现身孟津黄河湿地，这是河南省的首次记录和中国的第5次记录，该鸟在此停留近两个月，吸引了全国各地的鸟类爱好者一批又一批前来观测和拍摄，只为一睹它的“芳颜”。

The growing number of bird enthusiasts across China is fueling the rise of the bird-watching economy. Besides bird watching, this growing interest has also spurred new cultural and tourism businesses, giving a strong boost to the local economy. According to incomplete statistics, since 2025, the "bird-watching economy" has generated over 1 million yuan in revenue for related industries in Mengjin.

据了解，目前鸟类越来越受到大众的喜爱，我国观鸟爱好者人数持续增长，观鸟经济也在全国多地蓬勃发展，并且已从单一观赏向多元化消费场景延伸，催生了文旅新业态，带动地方相关产业发展。据不完全统计，2025年以来“观鸟经济”带动孟津区相关产业增收100万元以上。（中文来源/大河网 编译/杨佳欣 审校/张军平 赵汉青）