photos taken on November 27, 2023 shows a spectacular "wave of birds" view that had appeared over the Ulungur Lake National Wetland Park in Fuhai County, Altay Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Tens of thousands of ruddy shelducks were flying in the air like waves, densely packed and covering all the sky, creating a magnificent scene.

As the temperature gradually decreases, various types of migratory birds also begin to migrate southward. As an important node on the migration routes of global migratory birds in Central Asia and East Africa-West Asia, Ulungur Lake has become an "energy supplement station" for migratory birds to fly over the Tianshan Mountains and Altay Mountains. Tourist Wang Honghai said, "I didn't expect to come to Fuhai County in Xinjiang and see such a scene where tens of thousands of waterfowl fly together, which is particularly spectacular."

Ruddy shelduck is a large swimming duck belonging to the duck family and the duck genus. It mainly inhabits grasslands, lakes, farmland, and other environments. It is mostly migrated in a family group or a larger group formed by the family group, forming a straight or horizontal queue, constantly stopping and foraging along the way.

Aymulat Dawlitbek, the head of the Protection Department of the Ulungur Lake National Wetland Park Management Bureau in Fuhai County, said, “There are around 30,000 to 40,000 ruddy shelducks, they chose to gather in a safe place with food because of the cold weather and rest for a few days before continuing to fly south.”

Ulungur Lake is located in Fuhai County, Altay Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is one of the top ten freshwater lakes in China, with a total area of 1035 square kilometers. The lake is surrounded by reeds and is a habitat for many birds to migrate, rest, and breed.

(The Convergence Media Center of Fuhai County, Reporters: Wang Cheng, Chang Huayang, Arxin)