Plan for a win

The team headed to Napo on March 23, allowing themselves a day and a half to explore the recommended birding spots. "We're not just casual bird-watchers participating in a race for fun," He said. "We're serious birders looking to devise a strategy to win."

Dai Han, 41, has secured first place in four out of the 12 races he has attended, despite only beginning bird-watching five years ago.

"I tend to get deeply engrossed in any hobby I pursue," Dai said. As a freelance nature tour guide with experience in various biodiversity surveys, he is known among his peers for his competitiveness and fast-paced birding style.

Guo Zhichao, 37, graduated from the prestigious Peking University with a doctorate in neuroscience. Since beginning bird-watching in 2013, he has developed a keen interest in identifying species by their songs and calls. He diligently records bird sounds in the wild and uploads them to a major website dedicated to sharing wildlife sounds. Guo is seriously considering integrating his passion for avian life into his future research. The team appointed Dai as their leader and driver, with Guo as their race route planner.

On March 24, they spotted and photographed a Mrs. Hume's pheasant, a rare bird classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, and protected under Chinese law.

"Although we were not the first to record the bird in Napo, we were still thrilled by the discovery," He said. "At the festival's opening ceremony, a local official highlighted the sightings of the species as one of the most significant findings of the event."

According to Lei Jinyu, secretary-general of the Rosefinch Center, Napo has only one regional nature reserve and one county-level reserve, due to a lack of records of key protected species like Mrs. Hume's pheasant. Sightings of the bird might help elevate the regional reserve to national level in the future.

After visiting most of the sites for the birding event, the team set their goal at identifying 150 species, estimating that all teams combined could record around 250 species. "We set our estimated number at 247," Guo said.