In recent days, the appearance of a flock of hundreds of herons ( scientific name Nycticorax nycticorax) in the Hoan Kiem Lake area ( Hanoi ) has attracted the attention of many locals and tourists.
The egrets live and nest in Hoan Kiem Lake.
PHOTO: DINH HUY
According to observations, flocks of egrets usually appear in the early morning and late afternoon, circling around the lake to forage for food. Many individuals nest and take refuge in the ancient trees around Ngoc Son Temple and Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.
Besides the heron, many other wild bird species such as kingfishers, egrets, magpies, and bulbuls also inhabit and live in Hoan Kiem Lake, creating a distinctive ecological image in the heart of the capital city.
Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , Ms. Nguyen Thi Loi, Deputy Head of the Forest Protection and Nature Conservation Management Department (Hanoi Forest Protection Department), said that the herons that appeared in Hoan Kiem Lake belong to the Ardeidae family, are common wild animals, and are not on the list of endangered, rare, or precious species.
This species of heron first appeared in Hoan Kiem Lake two years ago, and their numbers have been steadily increasing.
PHOTO: DINH HUY
However, this species is still subject to management and protection under the laws on wildlife protection.
More and more species of wild birds are appearing in Ho Guom Lake.
According to Ms. Loi, the egrets began appearing and living in the Ho Guom Lake area about two years ago. Besides egrets, the lake area has also seen the appearance of several other wild and migratory bird species such as green storks, herons, and kingfishers… From mid-2024 to the present, the number of wild bird species appearing in the Ho Guom Lake area has tended to increase.
The presence of wild birds contributes to enriching the urban ecosystem, enhancing landscape value, and has a positive impact on biodiversity conservation in Hanoi.
Explaining the reason why wild birds congregate around Ho Guom Lake, a representative from the Hanoi Forest Protection Department said that the area has many suitable habitat conditions such as a stable water source, a relatively clean environment, and a rich aquatic ecosystem, creating a natural food source for the birds.
Images of kingfishers hunting in Hoan Kiem Lake.
PHOTO: HUNG PHAM
Adjacent to it, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake has a high density of greenery with many ancient trees and wide canopies, making it favorable for birds to nest and roost. The ecological and landscape conditions in this area are relatively stable, with little direct impact, creating a suitable environment for wild and migratory birds to live in.
"It can be assessed that the area around Hoan Kiem Lake is developing a favorable habitat for many species of wild birds," Ms. Loi emphasized.
Ms. Loi informed that, to strengthen wildlife protection efforts, the Hanoi Forest Protection Department has directed Forest Protection Unit No. 2 to coordinate with local authorities, functional units, and relevant agencies to promote the dissemination of legal regulations on wildlife and migratory bird protection to residents and tourists in the Ho Guom area.
At the same time, authorities are intensifying patrols and inspections to promptly detect, prevent, and strictly handle violations of the law related to hunting and harming wild animals, as well as actions that affect the habitat of bird species in the Ho Guom area.