Located on the third migratory corridor worldwide, the Manas National Wetland Park in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, features vast water surfaces and a healthy ecosystem. It has gradually become a stable wintering ground for whooper swans in Xinjiang. According to the latest monitoring data from the Manas National Wetland Park, the number of whooper swans wintering here has exceeded 1,000 for the first time since last winter, reaching a record high of 1,021.

The Manas National Wetland Park is located in Manas County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. Due to the low temperatures this winter, even in mid-February, the local average temperature remains around minus 14 degrees Celsius, and large areas of the wetland are still frozen. Many whooper swans, including quite a few gray-feathered cygnets, usually rest on the ice. Swans usually feed on aquatic plants and small organisms. Once the water surface freezes, finding food becomes more challenging for the swans.

Currently, the wetland park's staff provide the swans with a measured amount of corn and other food every day. They have also diverted running water from outside the wetland to create an area of open water, allowing the swans to forage and rest in the water.

The water surface is close to the shore, only about three to four meters away, allowing people to observe these swans at close range, which has attracted many local residents and tourists.

Since the first appearance of overwintering swans in 2011, the number of whooper swans wintering at the Manas National Wetland Park has increased year by year. Many swans have also started breeding here. This year, the proportion of juvenile swans reached around 10 percent, setting a new historical record.

(CCTV Reporters: Cui Ning and Xi Er)