Wildlife Conservation Efforts Boosted by Endangered Seabird Guardians in Eastern China
Efforts to protect endangered seabirds are making significant strides in wildlife conservation along the coast of Eastern China. These guardians are playing a crucial role in safeguarding the fragile ecosystems that support these species and promoting biodiversity in the region.
TroibNews 
He Jibai, 29, enjoys a life on a charming island with views of the expansive sea, accompanied by the soothing sounds of waves and birdsong. For the past three years, he has embraced what many consider China's "most poetic job."
With a background in biodiversity research, He has had a lifelong passion for observing nature. After leaving his previous role in 2022, he found a seabird monitoring position within the Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve in Wenzhou City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, and joined the program during his career hiatus.
On the island, seabird monitors track the entire reproductive cycle of terns—from their arrival and courtship to egg-laying, incubation, chick-rearing, and eventual departure. Their responsibilities also include habitat management, controlling rodent populations, monitoring migratory birds, and preventing avian influenza, with rodent control aimed at mitigating predatory risks.
Last year, the recruitment process for this role attracted considerable public interest, with over 6,000 applicants, but only 12 were chosen. This year, nearly 500 applications poured in within four days of the announcement on February 24.
The seabird monitoring officers particularly focus on the Chinese crested tern, a species classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and marked as a national first-class protected animal in China.
Besides the Chinese crested terns, these monitors also examine other protected species, including the great crested tern (second-class protected in China), and rare mammals such as the Eurasian otter and the East Asian finless porpoise, along with various other rare seabirds.
"The work revolves mostly around tern breeding. While it may seem monotonous to outsiders, it aligns perfectly with my expectations, and I thoroughly enjoy it," He noted.
Fan Zhongyong, a professor at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and director of the Hangzhou Birds and Ecology Research Society, explained that seabird monitors require relevant knowledge or professional experience to qualify for the role.
"Since 2017, we have recruited students in ornithology and skilled professionals to strengthen our workforce. Public recruitment also raises awareness about seabird conservation," Fan stated.
April is the peak month for bird migration on the island, and the team catalogs passing migratory birds to better grasp their migration patterns. The data collected from their monitoring efforts provide a foundation for developing more scientific, effective, and targeted conservation strategies.
Fan highlighted the importance of support for these conservation initiatives from the three nature reserves involved.
Currently, the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History's Chinese crested tern research team collaborates closely with Jiushan Archipelago National Nature Reserve in Xiangshan County, the Provincial Bird Nature Reserve of Wuzhi Mountain Archipelago in Dinghai District, and Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve, all of which play a vital role in protecting the Chinese crested tern.
The seabird monitoring program aims to discover new methods to restore seabird populations in China, manage and protect their habitats, and increase public awareness of seabird and marine conservation.
Commenting on the effectiveness of these efforts, Fan remarked: "Over the past decade, artificial attraction methods have successfully facilitated the recovery of Chinese crested tern populations."
From fewer than 50 individuals in 2010, the global population of Chinese crested terns grew to over 200 by 2022. In recent years, more than 85 percent of the world’s breeding Chinese crested terns have been located in Xiangshan and Dinghai, making these areas in Zhejiang crucial for the conservation and breeding of this species.
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China reported last year that rare and endangered wildlife populations, along with their habitats, have been steadily improving. More than 100 species—including giant pandas, Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, and Tibetan antelopes—are showing stable population increases, while familiar bird species have experienced significant growth in diversity and numbers.
"This success story provides a model for the global protection of endangered species, especially seabirds," concluded Chen Shuihua, the former director of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and a previous leader of the Chinese crested tern research team.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
With a background in biodiversity research, He has had a lifelong passion for observing nature. After leaving his previous role in 2022, he found a seabird monitoring position within the Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve in Wenzhou City, located in east China's Zhejiang Province, and joined the program during his career hiatus.
On the island, seabird monitors track the entire reproductive cycle of terns—from their arrival and courtship to egg-laying, incubation, chick-rearing, and eventual departure. Their responsibilities also include habitat management, controlling rodent populations, monitoring migratory birds, and preventing avian influenza, with rodent control aimed at mitigating predatory risks.
Last year, the recruitment process for this role attracted considerable public interest, with over 6,000 applicants, but only 12 were chosen. This year, nearly 500 applications poured in within four days of the announcement on February 24.
The seabird monitoring officers particularly focus on the Chinese crested tern, a species classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and marked as a national first-class protected animal in China.
Besides the Chinese crested terns, these monitors also examine other protected species, including the great crested tern (second-class protected in China), and rare mammals such as the Eurasian otter and the East Asian finless porpoise, along with various other rare seabirds.
"The work revolves mostly around tern breeding. While it may seem monotonous to outsiders, it aligns perfectly with my expectations, and I thoroughly enjoy it," He noted.
Fan Zhongyong, a professor at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and director of the Hangzhou Birds and Ecology Research Society, explained that seabird monitors require relevant knowledge or professional experience to qualify for the role.
"Since 2017, we have recruited students in ornithology and skilled professionals to strengthen our workforce. Public recruitment also raises awareness about seabird conservation," Fan stated.
April is the peak month for bird migration on the island, and the team catalogs passing migratory birds to better grasp their migration patterns. The data collected from their monitoring efforts provide a foundation for developing more scientific, effective, and targeted conservation strategies.
Fan highlighted the importance of support for these conservation initiatives from the three nature reserves involved.
Currently, the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History's Chinese crested tern research team collaborates closely with Jiushan Archipelago National Nature Reserve in Xiangshan County, the Provincial Bird Nature Reserve of Wuzhi Mountain Archipelago in Dinghai District, and Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve, all of which play a vital role in protecting the Chinese crested tern.
The seabird monitoring program aims to discover new methods to restore seabird populations in China, manage and protect their habitats, and increase public awareness of seabird and marine conservation.
Commenting on the effectiveness of these efforts, Fan remarked: "Over the past decade, artificial attraction methods have successfully facilitated the recovery of Chinese crested tern populations."
From fewer than 50 individuals in 2010, the global population of Chinese crested terns grew to over 200 by 2022. In recent years, more than 85 percent of the world’s breeding Chinese crested terns have been located in Xiangshan and Dinghai, making these areas in Zhejiang crucial for the conservation and breeding of this species.
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China reported last year that rare and endangered wildlife populations, along with their habitats, have been steadily improving. More than 100 species—including giant pandas, Siberian tigers, Asian elephants, and Tibetan antelopes—are showing stable population increases, while familiar bird species have experienced significant growth in diversity and numbers.
"This success story provides a model for the global protection of endangered species, especially seabirds," concluded Chen Shuihua, the former director of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and a previous leader of the Chinese crested tern research team.
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
