Gia Lai has stepped up public awareness campaigns urging residents to protect wild birds after hundreds of Asian openbills were spotted feeding in rice fields in Tuy Phuoc Commune.
Local authorities said the birds' return indicates that the area's farmland and wetlands continue to provide suitable habitat and feeding grounds for migratory species.
Asian openbills (Anastomus oscitans) feed mainly on snails, insects and other small organisms in paddy fields, helping farmers control pests naturally, reduce reliance on pesticides and maintain ecological balance.
The species, a seasonal migrant found mainly in wetlands across South and Southeast Asia, is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The commune has asked residents not to hunt, trap, shoot, trade or consume wild birds, and not to use nets, glue traps or other illegal capture methods or disturb the birds' feeding and roosting sites.
Residents have also been encouraged to report any illegal hunting, transport or trade in wildlife to local authorities.
The birds have recently been spotted across several parts of Gia Lai, with local authorities describing their return as an encouraging sign for biodiversity and wetland conservation.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed local authorities to strictly enforce a 2022 directive issued by the prime minister on the urgent protection of wild and migratory birds, which prohibits the illegal hunting, captivity, trade and consumption of wildlife.
Police have intensified campaigns encouraging residents not to hunt or consume wild animals and migratory birds as part of broader efforts to conserve biodiversity and protect the environment.
