XDMS... not just for Oriental Pied Hornbills

Xidamingshan, in South West China's Guangxi Province, is one of the last places left to find Oriental Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) in China. They share Xidamingshan with many other species of plants and animals. The bird life at XDMS is plentiful and diverse. Even though XDMS is mostly tree farms of pine and eucalyptus and the vast majority of remaining forest is relatively young secondary growth, it still makes an irreplaceable habitat for rare and hard-to-see species of birds. Two species of birds that share the forests of XDMS with the hornbills are the Long-tailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae) and the Asian Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx maculatus). Both of these beautiful species are at the northern limit of their range at XDMS and are difficult to see in China. They testify to the quality and importance of the remaining habitat at XDMS and the need to preserve it for the Oriental Pied Hornbills and all the species they share XDMS with. If we can protect a keystone species such as the Oriental Pied Hornbill, we can assure XDMS and its various habitats will continue to be home to many more amazing and beautiful species of plants and animals.