Beijing Swift Project launched
- By Gao Zhan
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 28, 2019
The Beijing Swift project, founded by the SOHO China Foundation, the Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology, and Eco Action, was launched at Qianmen Street, Beijing on June 27, 2019. The project is aimed to protect the Beijing swifts by making new buildings more bird-friendly.
According to Pan Shiyi, chairman of SOHO China, the project chose Qianmen Street and Wangjing SOHO as pilot locations to build more "nests" suitable for Beijing swifts over the next few months.
The black-brown feathered bird, with narrow long wings, was first described in 1870 by a British naturalist who named it the Beijing swift.
The origins of the swifts in Beijing can be traced back to the 15th century. The birds spend most of their lives in the air and feed on flying pests. They like to nest in high buildings with eaves such as city gatehouses, imperial buildings and ancient towers. The birds can often be seen at Qianmen Street, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace from mid-April to July every year.
However, with the decline in Beijing's ancient buildings and the changes in the urban ecological environment, the number of swifts in the capital city has greatly dwindled.
"We should explore and work together to provide natural habitats and create a better biological environment suitable for Beijing swifts through this project," said Zhu Tong, chairman of the Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology's North China project center.
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