BIRD calls have become the second-largest natural source of sound in Shenzhen, accounting for 21.7%, according to a recent monitoring report jointly released by the Shenzhen Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau’s Nanshan branch and Shenzhen Cambri Environmental Technology Co. Ltd.

Many residents in Shenzhen are now waking up to the sounds of birds. A resident surnamed Wang, who lives in Lianhuabeicun in Futian District, humorously noted, “Birds have become my alarm clock.”

Cambri, an environmental monitoring agency, has utilized its advanced sensing technology to gather data on urban ecological perceptions. Currently, over 300 environmental monitoring devices installed along roads and in parks, industrial zones, and residential communities can simultaneously identify 18 types of sounds, including those made by insects, birds, and human activity, with an accuracy rate exceeding 90%.

Li Wenyu, general manager of Cambri, stated, “Data from last December to January reveal that natural sound sources in Shenzhen mainly consist of white noise, bird calls, wind, thunder, running water, and rain, accounting for 37.6%, 21.7%, 19.4%, 15.8%, 4.9%, and 0.6%, respectively. Beyond the typical white noise, bird calls are a major component of natural sound.”

White noise is a type of sound that is produced by combining sounds of all different frequencies together.

“Bird calls made up 47% of sounds in residential areas and 32% in mixed commercial-residential areas. Conversely, in industrial parks, which have fewer people, bird calls accounted for 67% of sounds,” said Li.

“Last March, we recorded noise exceedances around 4 to 5 in the morning at a monitoring point in a residential complex. Initially, we suspected construction onsite. However, upon investigating the source, we discovered that the high decibel levels were due to the continual chirping of birds,” Li shared.

In February, Shenzhen released draft guidelines on bird-friendly urban planning and design, leading the way in implementing practical solutions for building a biodiversity-friendly city in the country. Shenzhen has also won the international award of “Biodiversity Charming City” in recognition of its excellent ecological environment.

Currently, 431 bird species have been recorded in the city, almost 30% of the total number of bird species documented in China, according to data from the Shenzhen Bird Watching Society.

Zhai Shengqiang, a researcher at the Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, stated that the prominence of bird vocalizations among natural sound sources is indicative of continuous improvements to Shenzhen’s natural environment and biodiversity.

(Peng Cheng, Wang Jingli)