Across China: Lampposts in south China's Shenzhen double as cozy bird nurseries

This image captured on May 25, 2024 shows oriental magpie robin nestlings inside a "bird nest light" at Futian mangrove ecological park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. TO GO WITH "Across China: Lampposts in south China's Shenzhen double as cozy bird nurseries" (Xinhua)

SHENZHEN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- As dusk fell, an unusual glow bathed Futian mangrove ecological park in Shenzhen, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, with 100 lampposts emitting a soft amber light and each effectively doubling as a bird nursery.

This unlikely transformation began in the spring of 2020. Back then, park ranger Rong Canzhong noticed a resourceful great tit weaving dry grass into a lamppost vent. His team later found nests in 14 lamps.

"Cavity-nesting birds like the great tit and oriental magpie-robin can't excavate their own nests," Rong explained. Urban trees rarely offer natural hollows -- turning lampposts into unintended refuges.

Yet this makeshift solution posed risks, as nests could collapse, while water infiltration threatened electrical systems.

Rather than evicting their feathered tenants, Rong's team embarked on a mission to co-design safe havens -- with both light and life in mind.

Their year-long research resulted in an ingenious, patented solution in 2023. Replacing ordinary lamps, the park now hosts 100 custom "bird nest lights," including 40 lampposts that feature removable nest boxes to prevent collapse. The carefully chosen amber bulbs avoid wavelengths known to disrupt fireflies.

Rong said 75 nests have successfully raised new life over the past five years. With hidden cameras monitoring temperature and humidity -- even the microclimate of each avian nursery now informs future urban habitat designs at the Sun Yat-sen University ecological center.

This urban refuge represents more than just local innovation -- it forms part of Shenzhen's wider vision as a vital hub on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. During migration season, parks dim lights by 11 p.m. for undisturbed rest.

Progress is measurable -- as of March this year, 429 bird species were thriving in Shenzhen, including 15 protected species. The city's new wildlife protection blueprint, notably, now expressly integrates bird conservation.

"Next steps involve deeper collaboration across the Greater Bay Area," said an official from Shenzhen's planning and natural resources bureau, adding that by constructing various wetland patches, foraging and stopover sites for waterbirds will be formed -- creating ecological corridors for regional waterfowl and global migratory birds. ■

This photo taken in May 2024 shows a "bird nest light" at Futian mangrove ecological park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. TO GO WITH "Across China: Lampposts in south China's Shenzhen double as cozy bird nurseries" (Xinhua)