Shanghai Disney Resort Celebrates Presence of 121st Bird Species at Wishing Star Park

This Earth Month, we’re celebrating the spirit of Disney Planet Possible by sharing stories of how we’re taking action to support a healthier planet for people and wildlife around the globe. One incredible example of that is Shanghai Disney Resort’s Wishing Star Park, where the efforts of passionate cast members, scientists and community members have led to the identification of 121 bird species!

Wishing Star Park is a beautiful urban park that features a 100-acre lake, tranquil landscapes and beautiful gardens. What you may not know is that both the design and operations of Wishing Star Park take into consideration the need to foster and protect natural habitats for wildlife. Prior to the creation of Wishing Star Park, there was little habitat for wildlife in the area. That’s why the presence of a wide variety of bird species today has become an important gauge of the park’s success in providing the conditions for a natural ecosystem to develop and thrive. And with half of the existing bird species around the world in decline, this work is more important than ever.

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To help understand the park’s ecosystem, the resort has collaborated with local bird experts and the Disney Conservation team on a long-term bird monitoring program. Since the program’s inception over eight years ago, bird experts have monitored 121 different species of birds and have cumulatively detected over 30,000 individual birds during monthly park visits. Now that’s a lot of birds!

This Earth Month, Shanghai Disney Resort has published a new Wishing Star Park Bird Watching Map as an informative resource for guests as they explore the park’s wide range of bird species and habitats. Created with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team, the newly launched Wishing Star Park Bird Watching Map gives guests all the insights they need to identify some of the bird species throughout the park. As a brand-new initiative this Earth Month, the map is now available at Wishing Star Park’s east and west entrances. This April, see how many birds you can spot!

And earlier this month, the resort hosted the launch ceremony of the 42nd Shanghai Bird Loving Week at the Wishing Star Park, where the Shanghai Forestry Station presented a certificate to Shanghai Disney Resort for their relentless efforts for wildlife protection and recovery. Adding to the Earth Month celebrations was the Disney Nature Conservation Forum — the resort’s first! Nonprofit and industry partners shared insights and engaged in discussions on major biodiversity conservation topics alongside the resort’s nature experts. This was followed by the return of the Earth Month Fair at Disneytown with fun activities such as bird-matching games!

As guests discover more about the world of birds and biodiversity at Wishing Star Park during Earth Month, they can also be fully immersed in this remarkable wildlife habitat and nature destination for city dwellers!