Bird lover's efforts lead to village income stream

TAIYUAN－Every day when Yang Jianguo leaves home, the morning has barely broken and only the sound of insects and birds can be heard in the deep mountains. For the past six years, the 60-year-old wakes up early and, rain or shine, carries a bag full of corn to feed his "little friends", chukars.

The gray-colored creature, distinguished by its coral beak and claws, is smaller than a chicken. During Yang's childhood, chukars could be seen everywhere on the farmlands and hillsides of Qiwan village, Pinglu county, North China's Shanxi province.

Yang's passion for chukars originated from a chance encounter six years ago. A group of photographers came to Pinglu to take pictures of birds. During a chat, they learned that Yang had seen chukars before and then asked him to lead the way.

As Yang recalls, the birds were common in Pinglu in the 1950s and 1960s. However, due to the lack of targeted protection, their population had declined significantly. After several days of searching, they finally found two chukars in a valley.

Before leaving, the photographers told Yang that this bird was the national bird of Pakistan, and left him some money so that he could take care of the birds and help them settle down here again.

"Keeping my promise is one thing, but I also want to protect these small animals from the bottom of my heart," Yang says.

It is not easy to feed chukars, because they are naturally timid and sensitive. After nearly a month of squatting and observing, he found several chukars in a mountain col.

The next day, Yang began to spread food around the area where chukars had appeared, but they were nowhere to be found. A long time passed, yet Yang persisted, and one morning, a few months later, he saw three chukars eating the food he had left the day before. Afraid of frightening them, he lay behind a mound to observe.

"Although I had seen them before, it was the first time for me to see them so close. Their small and cute appearance immediately captivated me," Yang says.

Yang began hiding behind big stones to observe and record the chirping sound with his mobile phone after spreading the feed. As the chukars became familiar with him, every time Yang played the chirping sound, the birds would come out to eat.

It took Yang half a year to gain the trust of the timid birds. He would feed them twice a day, every morning and afternoon.

From the few chukars he discovered initially, to more than 30 of them foraging every day, Yang felt happy to see the continuous population growth. Through the publicity of photographers, more bird watchers are visiting the area to take pictures of them. Yang has become a guide, and the photographers refer to him as "Uncle Bird".

In order not to disturb the birds, Yang built a simple hide near the foraging points, to which he also built 78 cement steps at his own cost.

"Providing help to photographers can better promote animal protection. More people will learn about them, fall in love with them, and feel a desire to protect them," Yang says.

With the conversion of hillside land to forests in recent years, the local environment has been improving, and the populations of wild birds, such as herons and golden pheasants, have also been increasing. Pinglu is now one of the go-to sites for domestic wildlife photographers.

Qiwan village has benefitted from the "bird-watching economy", as many villagers are now engaged in running agritainment businesses or homestays.

"I received 1,500 yuan ($220) for converting 0.2 hectares of farmland to forest. Adding my agricultural income, I can earn an extra 10,000 yuan annually," Yang says.

Many villagers, including Yang's own children, have moved out of the mountains, but with this new income stream, he has insisted on staying.

"I won't be able to feed the birds if I move out," Yang says, vowing to continue to protect his "little friends". Through his persistence, hopefully more will take up the cause.

Xinhua