The Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Management Office disclosed on April 5 that survey results from the recently concluded spring patrol work showed that more than 17,000 waterfowls had moved to Qinghai Lake.  

Qinghai Lake is the largest inland lake in China. Each year, more than 200,000 migratory birds of 92 species migrate to Qinghai Lake. It has the largest number of breeding and the most concentrated population of migratory birds in China.  

“This time we monitored a total of more than 17,300 birds of 32 kinds and 9 species, which is more than the number of last year,” He Yubang, director of the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Management Office, said. He said that bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, and great cormorants, all summer migratory birds, have already arrived at Qinghai Lake and the number is nearly 2,000.   

According to data from the Qinghai Provincial Meteorological Satellite Remote Sensing Monitoring Center, as of the end of 2018, the water body area of Qinghai Lake reached 4,516.23 square kilometers, an increase of 80.54 square kilometers compared with 2017. The water level has reached 3,195.41 meters, which means it has returned to its level of the early 1970s.  

“Qinghai Lake has special geographical conditions. The groundwater stays at a constant temperature almost all year round. There are actually many non-freezing springs in the snow and ice areas, which provide the necessary living environment for migratory birds,” He Yubang said. “In recent years, the water level of Qinghai Lake has risen, and the area of wetlands has expanded. The number of springs has increased, and the number of aquatic organisms continues to grow. This provides ample food sources for migratory birds.”