A race is on to build the world鈥檚 largest bird feeder, to save tens of thousands of migrating birds.
China鈥檚 Yalu Jiang nature reserve, near the North Korean border, covers 50 kilometres of estuarine mudflats. Every year, 250,000 birds stop off there to feast on clams. They include , and endangered . From there, they continue their epic journeys 鈥� in the case of the godwits, from New Zealand to Alaska.
However, the clams have been under pressure from pollution and environmental damage, and a frigid winter has left just 5 per cent alive.
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The solution is an all-you-can-eat buffet for the birds, made by bringing in farmed shellfish from around China.
Conservationists estimated that 500 tonnes of shellfish were needed, and began an international appeal to raise $365,000 to pay. The entire sum has now been raised, just in time for the arrival of 75,000 great knots this week, .
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