Grey-faced Buzzards Discovered in Shangnan Region, a Level-II Protected Bird Species

Recently, staff from the Shangnan Forestry Bureau discovered 12 photos and 4 video segments while sorting and compiling infrared trigger camera footage within the Xinling Provincial Natural Reserve’s Jinxiya Spiral Cliff. The photographs captured a state-level protected animal – a falconiform bird – the Grey-faced Buzzard (Butastur indicus), which represents the first-ever record of this raptor species in Shangnan.

This bird is a medium-sized raptor that feeds on small animals such as snakes, frogs, lizards, rodents, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and other birds.

In recent years, Shangnan County has firmly established the philosophy of ‘lush mountains and green waters are gold and silver mountains’ and has taken numerous measures to protect rare and endangered plants and animals, with a particular focus on resource monitoring in the Xinling Natural Reserve. Since December 1, 2018, the county forestry bureau has deployed 17 infrared automatic trigger cameras in the Xinling Natural Reserve to conduct photographic surveys of wildlife.

As of August 2019, the Xinling Natural Reserve had captured a total of 648 photos and 216 video segments, with 509 (segments) of effective photos. These captured 7 species of mammals, 11 species of birds, including state-level protected animals such as the Eland, Scholar Vulture, Grey Forest Owl, Pine Eagle, and Grey-faced Buzzard.

Source: Qian Shangnan

(LJ)