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Liang Mingxuan, a doctor from the Information Engineering School of Yangzhou University, recently observed large flocks of black-headed gulls and found out that these feathered friends had brought along new guests — caspian terns — while bird-watching in the extensive wetlands at Liaojiagou in Yangzhou.
A caspian tern (second from right) mingles with black-headed gulls at a wetland in Liaojiagou, Yangzhou. [Photo/Rednote ID: 6186308917]
With this discovery, the number of bird species recorded in Yangzhou has increased to 326.
Caspian terns, despite having a red bill similar to that of black-headed gulls, differ significantly in several ways. Their bills are a deeper red, they have black feathers on top of their heads, and their tails are shaped like those of swallows.
A caspian tern flies over a wetland of Liaojiagou in Yangzhou. [Photo/Rednote ID: 6186308917]
Since the start of autumn this year, birdwatchers in Yangzhou have documented nearly 100 species of migratory birds. October marks the peak period for avian migration, when numerous water and forest birds fly from distant locations to Yangzhou, using the city's lakes, rivers, wetlands, and even green spaces in parks as places to rest and recuperate.
A caspian tern swoops down towards a wetland at Liaojiagou in Yangzhou. [Photo/Rednote ID: 6186308917]
All these avian wonders and the city's rich natural environment have turned Yangzhou into a magnet for visitors, drawing in large numbers of birdwatchers and photographers from far and wide, all eager to capture the beauty and diversity of these winged guests.
