Shenzhen is set to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. As delegates from participating economies arrive one after another, vast flocks of migratory birds have already completed journeys spanning thousands of kilometers, arriving first to overwinter at Shenzhen Bay: Great Cormorants roost in dense flocks across the intertidal mudflats, Black-faced Spoonbills wade leisurely through the mangrove forests, and the Greater White-fronted Goose has made its debut appearance in the Futian wetlands.

An all-star avian lineup converges on Shenzhen Bay

With the arrival of Lidong (the Beginning of Winter, the 19th of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms), Shenzhen Bay welcomes legions of migratory birds. Situated along a critical global migratory bottleneck—the East Asian–Australasian Flyway—the bay serves as a vital stopover and wintering ground for nearly 100,000 migratory waterbirds annually. To date, 273 avian species have been recorded here, including 60 species listed under China's National Key Protected Wild Animals. Recently, the Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), a Class II National Key Protected Species, was recorded for the first time at the Futian mangroves, bearing testimony to a steadily thriving ecosystem. Meanwhile, the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), which had never once lingered overnight in Shenzhen, has transitioned into a regular winter resident—living proof of substantial ecological restoration.

Making way and dimming the lights for migratory birds

The Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve is China's only national-level nature reserve situated right in the heart of a metropolis. Decades ago, during the planning of Binhai Boulevard, its alignment was deliberately shifted more than 200 meters northward to bypass the core mangrove zone, and the boulevard was outfitted with acoustic barriers. The municipality has also delineated dark-sky conservation zones, replaced conventional streetlights with low-impact warm-amber LED luminaires, and enforced stringent curbs on nocturnal light pollution—even politely declining public proposals to brighten the thoroughfares. With newly enacted municipal regulations taking effect recently, the mandate of "lights out for migratory birds" has been formally codified into law, while bird-friendly building retrofits to prevent glass collisions are advancing in parallel to safeguard a tranquil night sky for wintering flocks.

Mutual thriving along a golden economic belt

The mangrove wetlands flourish side by side with a coastal trillion-yuan economic belt, where the Mangrove Waterfront Greenway has emerged as a signature calling card for the city's business environment. Ecologically, the mangrove forests buffer storm surges and fortify coastal resilience; economically, building upon its mangrove carbon sequestration resources, Shenzhen completed China's first-ever mangrove conservation carbon sink auction, pioneering the development of a blue carbon trading market. As the APEC gathering approaches, Shenzhen's urban ecological governance model will be shared across the Asia-Pacific region. Voting with their wings, migratory birds stand as ultimate witnesses to the urban wisdom of balancing high-value economic growth with ecological stewardship.

红树林边，万亿经济带与候鸟共栖

APEC第三十三次领导人非正式会议将在深圳举办。在各国代表陆续抵达之际，大批候鸟早已飞越万里，率先来到深圳湾越冬：鸬鹚群栖滩涂，黑脸琵鹭漫步红树林，白额雁首次现身福田湿地。

候鸟“天团”集结深圳湾 

立冬，深圳湾迎来候鸟大军。这里是候鸟迁徙要道，每年近十万只候鸟落脚，记录鸟类 273 种，含 60 种国家保护鸟类。近日，二级保护动物白额雁首次现身福田红树林，印证生态向好；黑脸琵鹭从不在深圳过夜，到如今常住于此，成为生态改善见证。

为鸟让道，为鸟熄灯 

福田红树林是国内唯一市中心国家级保护区。早年滨海大道为避让红树林北移 200 余米，配套隔音设施；划定暗夜保护区，更换暖黄低干扰路灯，严控夜间照明。市民提议加亮路灯被婉拒。近日新规落地，“为鸟熄灯” 写入法规，防鸟撞改造同步推进，为候鸟守住安静夜空。

黄金经济带相依相生

红树林湿地与滨海万亿经济带比邻共存。红树碧道成为商务名片。红树林抵御风浪，筑牢海岸屏障；依托红树林碳汇资源，深圳完成全国首单红树林碳汇拍卖，布局蓝碳交易市场。APEC 盛会将至，深圳生态治理经验将面向亚太分享。候鸟用翅膀投票，见证城市兼顾发展与生态的智慧。


文｜记者 宋王群

图｜王磊

译｜陈冠臻

审｜盛嘉