DONGYING, China, May 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- It is the early summer, the Yellow River Delta in Dongying, Shandong Province is lush with flourishing  vegetation and melodious birds chirping. In recent years, with the continuous improvement of the ecological environment in Hekou District of Dongying, a large number of oriental white storks come to settle here. They sometimes feed their young birds in their nests, and sometimes just stand up straight to gaze into the far distance leisurely and contently.

The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve has the most complete wetland ecosystem in the warm temperate zone in our country. Every year, from April to June, it is a crucial period for the breeding of the Oriental white stork. But there are relatively few tall trees in areas such as wetlands, reed marshes, and grasslands. So the steel pylons have become their main nesting sites.

In order to protect the Oriental White Stork, the State Grid Dongying Hekou Power Supply Company actively undertakes the responsibility of  birds caring and electrical line protecting, organizing volunteer service teams to do "bird protection" rather than "bird prevention" to guarantee the safety and stability of the power grid, and to protect the rare birds at the same time. On the one hand, based on the size of the bird's nest, a tray-shaped octagonal artificial bird's nest has been developed, using the  protection method of "the same tower nest relocation and placement" to guide the Oriental white storks to build their nest in safe place. On the other hand, a new inspection mode of "manual line patrol+centralized monitoring+drones" with multi-source linkage is adopted for bird protection. Video monitoring equipment is installed in the areas where the Oriental white storks frequently fly around, and regular tracking and maintenance of their nest is conducted as well. At the same time, bird protection devices are installed thoroughly. The insulation sheaths are used in combination with the composite insulation bird covers. Silicone rubber insulation materials are used to clad the electric wires, fittings, etc. below the bird's nest to reduce the interference caused by line operation and maintenance, thus creating a safer environment for the Oriental white storks to nurture their offspring peacefully on the steel pylons.

In recent years, with the significant improvement of the ecosystem stability and biodiversity in the Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve, the number of bird species here has increased from 187 at the beginning of its establishment to 373 now. Since 2005, the Oriental White Stork has bred nearly 3200 chicks here in the Yellow River Delta region, making it an important breeding site in the world for the oriental white storks.