Hikvision: helping to protect one of the world’s most incredible birds

9 01, 2019

What animal can hyperventilate, make its heart beat five times faster, and soar over the highest mountains on earth – with no ill effects? The answer is the bar-headed goose. Hikvision technology has been helping to boost declining populations of this superstar bird, with very encouraging results.

The bar-headed goose from Central Asia is an incredible bird, which has intrigued and astounded biologists for decades. Known for being the highest flying migratory birds in the world, these geese can rise to extreme altitudes of many thousands of meters – some 6,400m or more – in atmospheres with less than 10% of the oxygen found at sea level. Some researchers have even reported witnessing them fly over the Himalayas.

But we are also learning that this beautiful breed has been suffering a decline in its population: not least, at Bender Lake in the Yangtze River source region of China.

Least concern – but still in decline
The altitude of Bender Lake in Western China is some 4,700 meters above sea level, making it a haven for bar-headed geese. Yet due to poachers and egg theft, the goose population here at one point plummeted to around just 1,000.

Despite the large global population size of these birds (leading to a category of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species), bar-headed geese are still declining in numbers around the world. So in acknowledgement of this back in 2012, the China-based NGO Green River launched a protection program at Bender Lake, featuring non-stop monitoring of the birds and the local environment.

Introducing Hikvision remote monitoring technology
In 2018, Green River started using Hikvision security cameras for monitoring and protecting the lake’s goose population. Dozens of all-weather bird observation spots were set up with our cameras, to enable remote monitoring of the area 24/7.

This has been delivering important benefits to the Green River conservation team.

A wealth of data, minimal impact
Using the Hikvision solution, Green River now conducts fewer conventional patrols on foot. Thanks to Hikvision’s remote monitoring technology, protection activities are much easier and faster, and any negative impact from people physically moving through the birds’ habitat has been reduced.

Green River has also been using Hikvision equipment to stream high-definition live video of the geese online. Plus our advanced image processing, data storage and transmission technology is enabling them to collect and process data about the geese more effectively.

A brighter future
The great news is that the efforts of everyone involved in this initiative are paying off. According to developing statistics, the number of bar-headed geese around Bender Lake has increased from 1,000 to 3,000 or more. And this is just the beginning!

Technology – not least, video technology – can offer incredible value to conservation efforts, and at Hikvision we are always keen to play our part. We are already involved in protection programs for pandas and Siberian tigers, and this year our work with the Green River protection program continues, as we develop customized high altitude video cameras for monitoring the geese in trickier locations.

Find out more
Hikvision is committed to exploring the power of technology to secure the sustainability and biodiversity of the world. To find out more about our remote monitoring solutions and the value they can deliver to conservation activities, visit here, or contact us at GLOBALPR@hikvision.com.

You can watch a video of our bar-headed goose conservation work with Green River here.