Recently, staff members at the Manas National Wetland Park in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, have counted a record-breaking 943 whooper swans wintering in the park.

In recent days, at the Manas National Wetland Park, the whooper swans have been resting and foraging leisurely and contentedly. They gracefully stretch their necks and sing loudly, playing and frolicking on the shimmering water surface, forming a touching ecological picture. Most of the whooper swans wintering here are family groups with young ones, making it inconvenient for them to continue migrating. The swans with grayish feathers are the juveniles still in their early stages.

It is reported that whooper swans have continuously wintered at the Manas National Wetland Park for 13 years, and this year's population has reached a record high, thanks to the enhanced wetland conservation measures, improved water quality, and increased ecological diversity.

Yang Lihong, an official from the Wildlife Protection Department of the Manas National Wetland Park Management Bureau, said, “In previous years, adult whooper swans with pure white feathers accounted for a larger proportion. This year, the proportion of gray juvenile swans has reached around 10 percent. The changes in the age structure and overall population of the whooper swans indicate to some extent that the protection efforts at the Manas National Wetland Park have been quite effective.”

The increase in the number of overwintering whooper swans has significantly enhanced the park’s reputation and attractiveness, drawing a large number of visitors and photography enthusiasts who come to capture the graceful moments of these elegant creatures.

Wang Huiqin, a photography enthusiast from Shihezi, said,“Thanks to local conservation efforts, the whooper swans have become more accustomed to human presence. As a photographer, we used to need telephoto lenses to capture them from a distance. Now, we can use medium-range lenses, or even get closer, to photograph these wild swans and capture their various postures in the water and in the air.”

Manas National Wetland Park is an important habitat and breeding ground for migratory birds. In recent years, through measures such as returning farmland to wetlands, ending grazing to restore wetlands, and filling in ponds to create wetlands, the environment of Manas National Wetland Park has improved significantly, making it an ideal wintering habitat for migratory whooper swans.

Yang also noted that, “these whooper swans will gradually depart from the park in early March this year. In the meantime, we will keep up our efforts to protect the swans and help visitors and local residents understand the science of swan conservation, ensuring that the swans can safely see out the winter here.”

(The Media Convergence Center of Manas County, Reporter Walisijan, Correspondents: Zhang Chao and Mu Xuantong)