(250917) -- HULUN BUIR, Sept. 17, 2025 (Xinhua) -- A drone photo taken on Sept. 16, 2025 shows grey cranes in the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve in Hulun Buir, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Bao Jincai, 27, once specialized in bird research while pursuing his master's degree in ecology. After visiting nearly every bird reserve in Inner Mongolia, he joined the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve Administration on the Sino-Russian border through a talent recruitment program.

Covering an area of 95,604 hectares, the Ergune Wetland Nature Reserve provides a habitat for more than 200 species of birds.

Amid the morning fog, Bao embarked on his twice-weekly line transect survey, equipped with a telephoto lens on his back and a high-power telescope around his neck. He followed a fixed route, recording the species, population and behavior of birds within a certain range on either side. "It is like conducting a census for birds," Bao said with a smile.

Despite muddy roads and mosquito bites, Bao identified three rare bird species that were never before documented by the reserve. Each discovery requires several consecutive days of observation and tracking, high-quality imaging, and detailed behavior records.

"Birds are his best friends," said Bao's wife Narenbilig. To support his passion for birds, She traveled thousand of miles from Wuhai to Ergune to accompany him, and became a high school teacher there.

As the sun set, Bao concluded the day's work. His notebook was filled with data on more than a dozen species of birds and over a hundred individual sightings. While packing up, he suddenly pointed towards the sky. "Look, the gray cranes were returning to their nests." As the crane calls echoed overhead, a clear light gleamed in Bao's eyes. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)