Zhalong Nature Reserve is in Heilongjiang Province in North-east China. It is one of the world's most important wetlands. The area provides food and cover for a lot of wildlife. It is a perfect place for some rare birds.
Many birds live in Zhalong all year round, while some go there only for a short stay. Most birds are active in the daytime, so you can easily watch them there. There are not many cranes left in the world, and 40 per cent of them live in Zhalong.
Some people want to make the wetlands smaller in order to have more space for farms and buildings. This will lead to less and less space for wildlife. Moreover, fishermen keep fishing there. As a result, the birds do not have enough food to eat. Now the Chinese government has made laws to prevent all these things in Zhalong.
Once a year, the members of our Birdwatching Society go to study the birds in Zhalong. We record their types and changes in their numbers.
Every year, a lot of tourists go to Zhalong to watch the birds. We are now inviting them to help us. We need more people to count and describe the birds. We hope this will help people understand the importance of the wetlands.