They're Giant Pandas among Birds

“很开心，比拍到大熊猫还要开心。”当得知拍到了濒危物种四川山鹧鸪时，四川省凉山州美姑大风顶国家级自然保护区管理局科研检测科科长商布且说道。

"We're very happy, happier than photographinging the giant pandas," said Shang Buqie, the director of detection department of the Administration of SichuanMeigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve, as he was informed that the endangered species Sichuan Partridges were captured by the camera.

9月21日，四川省凉山州美姑大风顶国家级自然保护区管理局通过红外相机首次拍摄到濒危物种四川山鹧鸪。

On September 21, the Administration of SichuanMeigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve captured Sichuan Partridges for the first time through infrared cameras.

四川山鹧鸪

四川山鹧鸪又被誉为“鸟中大熊猫”，该物种已被列入国家“十四五”林草规划抢救性保护珍稀濒危野生动物名录，是我国西南山地的特有鸟类，属全球性濒危(EN)物种、国家一级重点保护野生动物。

TheSichuan Partridges, also known as the "Giant Pandas among Birds", has been included in the list of rare and endangered wildlife for salvage protection in "the 14th Five-Year Plan", and are endemic birds in the mountains of southwest China, a globally endangered (EN) speciesandnational first-level key protected wild animals.

视频中，在茂密的树林里，两只看似体型不大的、身上带有褐色花纹的鸟儿在落叶和草丛中间寻觅食物，它们不断跳跃穿梭，不时用脚刨开地上的落叶。

In the video, two small and brown patterned birds were searching for food in the dense woods. They kept jumping and weaving, using their feet to dig through the fallen leaves.

摄影：付义强

经保护区工作人员鉴定确认，这两只鸟儿为鸟纲鸡形目山鹧鸪属的四川山鹧鸪。

The staff of the Reserve confirmed that these two birds are Sichuan Partridges.

第一次用红外相机拍到实物

“当时只是觉得这个鸟比较特殊，之前没有在视频里见过，我们根据外观初步判断有可能是四川山鹧鸪。”商布且说道。

"At first we just thought the birds were special and hadn't seen them on video before. We thought they were likely to be Sichuan Partridges based on their appearance," said Shang Buqie.

“这是我们第一次用红外线相机拍摄到四川山鹧鸪的踪迹。此前只是听一些村里的老年人说过有四川山鹧鸪，但是都没有拍到过。”商布且说道。美姑大风顶保护区过往资料也记载有四川山鹧鸪分布，但近几十年来保护区历次调查均未发现其活动痕迹。

"This is the first time we have captured Sichuan Partridges with infrared cameras. Previously, we had only heard from some elderly people in the village that there were Sichuan Partridges, but none had been photographed," said Shang Buqie. Past data of Meigu Dafengding National Nature Reserve also recorded the distribution of Sichuan Partridges, but in recent decades the Reserve has not found any traces of their activities.

本次发现说明栖息地质量在提高

四川美姑大风顶国家级自然保护区管理局科研监测科高级工程师李良表示，“这次发现充分说明了，我们保护区的森林资源得到了充分的保护，栖息地的质量得到了提高，野生动物的活动范围逐渐扩大。”

"This discovery fully illustrates that the forest resources of our reserve have been adequately protected. The quality of the habitat has been improved, and the range of wildlife activities has been gradually expanded," said Li Liang.

上世纪九十年代末，世界雉类协会鹑类专家组前主席西蒙道威尔博士在四川考察四川山鹧鸪的种群状况时预测：该物种将在20年后从地球上消失。但在相关部门和组织的保护下，据四川省林业和草原局相关数据显示，今年6月，四川省林学会在近期组织开展的四川山鹧鸪保护关键技术评估表明，经过20多年的持续努力，四川山鹧鸪的种群数量增长近60%，适宜栖息地面积增加了23%，物种保护取得显著成效。

In the late 1990s, Dr. Simon Dowell predicted that Sichuan Partridges would disappear from the earth in 20 years when he examined the population status of the Sichuan partridges. However, under the protection of relevant departments and organizations, the species conservation had achieved remarkable results. According to the data from the Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Bureau, in June of this year, after over 20 years of sustained efforts, the population of the Sichuan Partridge had increased by nearly 60%; the area of suitable habitat had increased by 23%.

摄影：付义强

当前，四川山鹧鸪已被列入“十四五”国家林草规划抢救性保护珍稀濒危野生动物名单，标志着四川山鹧鸪保护进入了一个新阶段。

Currently, the Sichuan Partridge has been included in the list of rare and endangered wild animals for salvage and protection in the 14th Five-Year Plan, marking a new stage in the protection of the Sichuan Partridge.