August 26–29, the 22nd Chinese Graduate Symposium on Ornithology (Kingfisher Forum) was held at Northeast Forestry University (NEFU). More than 100 graduate students from 26 universities and research institutions across China attended and engaged in academic exchanges on cutting-edge issues in avian ecology, new technology applications, and key topics in biodiversity conservation.

The Ornithological Society of China organized the symposium. It was jointly hosted by the College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management at NEFU, the Key Laboratory of Cold-Region Territorial Spatial Planning and Ecological Conservation and Restoration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering of the Ministry of Education at Beijing Normal University, and the editorial office of Chinese Journal of Wildlife.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Sun Qiaoqi, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management. Yang Shilong, Dean of the College, delivered a welcome address on behalf of the organizers. He introduced the College’s research and talent development programs in ornithology and welcomed the participating experts and young scholars. Professor Ding Changqing of Beijing Forestry University, Secretary-General of the Ornithological Society of China, spoke on the Society’s behalf. He reviewed the Kingfisher Forum’s development as an academic exchange platform for young ornithologists in China. He encouraged young researchers to seize the opportunity for academic exchange and engage in extensive, in-depth discussions.

Yang Shilong, Dean of the College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management, Delivers a Welcome Address.

Professor Ding Changqing of Beijing Forestry University, Secretary-General of the Ornithological Society of China, Delivers a Remark.

The symposium invited Professor Jiang Tinglei, Associate Dean of the School of Environment at Northeast Normal University; Professor Yang Shilong, Dean of the College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management at NEFU; and Associate Professor Wu Yining, a member of the Youth Committee of the Ornithological Society of China and a faculty member of the College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management at NEFU, to deliver keynote presentations.

Academic exchanges focused on topics including bird migration mechanisms, conservation of rare and endangered birds, behavioral ecology, anthropogenic disturbance, pollution, and pathogen risks. The symposium featured 32 oral presentations and 69 poster presentations. During the graduate student presentations, Associate Professor Yu Jiangping of Northeast Normal University and Professor Wu Qingming of NEFU provided individual academic comments and feedback on each presentation. The symposium also featured a special panel on bird conservation technologies and a workshop on field research methods in ornithology. Participants engaged in focused discussions on applying emerging technologies to field monitoring, further broadening research horizons and strengthening young researchers' practical capabilities.

Experts Deliver Presentations

Comments on Oral Presentations and Workshop

The closing ceremony was presided over by Professor Wu Qingming of NEFU’s College of Wildlife and Protected Area Management, who also serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the Crane Conservation Committee of the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Professor Dong Lu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ornithological Society of China and Deputy Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Beijing Normal University, delivered a summary of the symposium. He encouraged young researchers to apply what they had learned and reflected on at the forum to their scientific research, remain committed to fieldwork and rigorous exploration, and contribute their youthful energy to avian ecological conservation and the development of a Beautiful China amid the country’s rich natural landscapes.

Professor Dong Lu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ornithological Society of China and Deputy Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Beijing Normal University, Delivers a Symposium Summary

After more than two decades of continuous development, the Kingfisher Forum has become an important platform for young ornithological researchers in China to present their findings, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration. It has also witnessed the growth of successive generations of young ornithologists. Looking ahead, the forum will continue to serve as a platform for academic exchange among young researchers, injecting new vitality into ornithological research, biodiversity conservation, and the cultivation of young scientific and technological talent in China.