Nearly 100 rare yellow-breasted buntings spotted foraging in south China's Hainan

Nearly 100 yellow-breasted buntings, a nationally protected rare species in China, were recently spotted foraging in a wetland in Chengmai County, south China's tropical island province of Hainan.

Feeding among reeds and nearby shrubs, the birds moved in flocks, pecking at seeds and perching in the morning sun. Their return in such numbers highlights improving wetland habitats due to China's ongoing efforts in biodiversity conservation.

The yellow-breasted bunting gets its name from the bright yellow feathers on its chest. Its diet changes with the seasons. In spring and summer, it mainly feeds on insects and their larvae, while in autumn and winter it feeds on plant-based foods such as grass seeds.

Since 2017, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has upgraded the Yellow-breasted Bunting's status from "endangered" to "critically endangered." In 2021, China put the bird on the list of Class I national protection.

Nearly 100 rare yellow-breasted buntings spotted foraging in south China's Hainan

China made public a work plan on Friday to further upgrade service consumption infrastructures and support housekeeping, elderly care and childcare sectors.

The document, jointly released by the Ministry of Commerce and eight other departments, outlined 64 measures to boost service consumption, including traditional sectors like catering and accommodation, tourism, as well as elderly care and childcare.

Emerging growth sectors, such as housekeeping, performance services and inbound consumption, are also covered.

These measures will create new consumption scenarios amid efforts to drive service consumption and meet people's growing needs for a better life, according to the ministry.

China unveils plan to further boost service consumption