Huanggang, Hubei: Guarding a Paradise for Migratory Birds

Recently, at the UAV Intelligent Inspection Center of the State Grid Longgan Lake District Power Supply Company, staff members operated the inspection system to conduct routine inspections of power lines within the wetland reserve.

Bird Protection Team of State Grid Longgan Lake District Power Supply Company participates in the “Protective Feeding” work in the wetland reserve

Photo by Zhang Chaodong

The Longgan Lake National Nature Reserve is located in Huangmei County, Huanggang City, Hubei Province. Every winter, approximately 200,000 migratory birds stay here to overwinter. Starting in October, the reserve staff began to step up various preparations for the migratory birds’ wintering season.

To ensure that the habitats of migratory birds are not disturbed, the Longgan Lake Wetland Reserve has established a four-level patrol network featuring “information officers in villages, patrol officers at stations, bird protection teams in designated areas, and inspection teams at the bureau level.” In addition, real-time monitoring of migratory bird habitats is conducted through a smart biodiversity monitoring system.

Migratory birds gliding and swimming in the Longgan Lake Wetland

Photo by Zhang Chaodong

To prevent the risk of bird electrocution, in recent years, the State Grid Longgan Lake District Power Supply Company has carried out insulation retrofitting of power lines, upgrading nearly 10 kilometers of lines, installing 22 sets of protective covers for transformer bushings, and relocating 33 poles. Manual patrols have also been maintained. The Bird Protection Team of the Longgan Lake District Power Supply Company regularly inspects drainage stations and hydrological monitoring stations, checking for flags or obstacles in the rice fields.

In 2025, the State Grid Longgan Lake District Power Supply Company utilized the UAV intelligent inspection system to cooperate with the reserve on bird monitoring. The UAV intelligent inspection system and the smart biodiversity monitoring system complement each other, making migratory bird protection efforts more precise and effective.