Bao Jincai operates a drone for daily patrol in the Ergune wetland in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. Bao Jincai, 27, once specialized in bird research while pursuing his master’s degree in ecology. After visiting nearly every bird reserve in Inner Mongolia, he joined the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve Administration on the Sino-Russian border through a talent recruitment program.
Covering an area of 95,604 hectares, the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve provides a habitat for more than 200 species of birds.
Amid the morning fog, Bao embarked on his twice-weekly line transect survey, equipped with a telephoto lens on his back and a high-power telescope around his neck. He followed a fixed route, recording the species, population and behavior of birds within a certain range on either side. “It is like conducting a census for birds,” Bao said with a smile.
Despite muddy roads and mosquito bites, Bao identified three rare bird species that were never before documented by the reserve. Each discovery requires several consecutive days of observation and tracking, high-quality imaging, and detailed behavior records.
“Birds are his best friends,” said Bao’s wife Narenbilig. To support his passion for birds, She traveled thousand of miles from Wuhai to Ergune to accompany him, and became a high school teacher there.
As the sun set, Bao concluded the day’s work. His notebook was filled with data on more than a dozen species of birds and over a hundred individual sightings. While packing up, he suddenly pointed towards the sky. “Look, the gray cranes were returning to their nests.” As the crane calls echoed overhead, a clear light gleamed in Bao’s eyes. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
Bao Jincai takes photos of birds with a telephoto lens in the Ergune wetland in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
Bao Jincai observes birds with a telescope in the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)
A drone photo taken on Sept. 16, 2025 shows a view of the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
A drone photo taken on Sept. 16, 2025 shows grey cranes in the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
Grey cranes fly over the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)
Bao Jincai (L) and his colleague arrange plant specimens collected in the Ergune wetland at Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve Administration in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
Bao Jincai identifies the oriental honey-buzzard from the photos he has taken at Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve Administration in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)
Ruddy shelducks fly over the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Bei He)
This combo photo shows three rare bird species documented by Bao Jincai, including steppe eagle (L above, taken on Sept. 5, 2025), oriental honey-buzzard (L below, taken on June 8, 2025) and ural owl (R, taken on March 5, 2025) in the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)
Bao Jincai (L) and his colleague study patrol routes via a 3D digital sandtable at Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve Administration in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
Bao Jincai (R) and his wife Narenbilig are pictured at their home in Ergune City, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
A panoramic aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 16, 2025 shows a view of the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20250917/1f7190a57a7f4e7c845d3cbb7c3513a9/c.html