Endangered storks make themselves at home in Yunnan

More than 200 Asian openbill storks are believed to inhabit Phoenix Ecological Park in Honghe Hani-Yi autonomous prefecture of Yunnan province. [Photo by Wei Yunbo/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The endangered Asian openbill stork, named for its strange beak, are mainly found in tropical areas of Asia, including India, Myanmar and southern Vietnam. They like to forage for mollusks in swamps and coastal beaches and rest in the tropical wetlands, including in paddies and shoals.

In 2013, the storks were included on the red list of endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Phoenix Ecological Park, constructed in 2017, covers an area of more 233 hectares. The park, which is a major tourist attraction in Kaiyuan, has become home to many wild birds after local ecological conditions improved.

In addition to the openbill storks, many herons, egrets, cormorants and other protected wild birds have also been found in the park.