China Scene: West

Babbler's singing makes exercising fun for owner

A man in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, does his morning exercises accompanied by a wren-babbler that sings on his shoulder.

"Every morning when I go out for morning exercise, my bird follows me," said the man, surnamed Song. "I have been keeping the babbler for one year, and it understands every command I give. With the bird, my house is always filled with laughter."

(Sanqin Daily)

Xinjiang to build reserve for endangered bird

A nature reserve for an endangered bird is being planned in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The houbara bustard, an endangered species, has a major habitat in Mulei Kazak Autonomous County, and a recent census showed that more than 2,000 of them live there, the largest colony of the bird in the world.

(www.tianshannet.com)

(China Daily 02/28/2007 page6)