A hornbill flies over Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

In Yunnan Tongbiguan provincial nature reserve, hornbills, a species under first-class state protection in China, are in a critical period of breeding preparation. Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" conduct regular patrols to ensure their safety during the breeding season.

The "Hornbill Patrol Team" is composed of local villagers and forest rangers. Since its establishment in 2021, the team has grown to 26 members. Apart from patrolling, many of them also work as bird-watching guides or are involved in the ecological industry, achieving a positive interaction between ecological conservation and community development.

Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" chat with a tourist at a hornbill watching spot in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A hornbill eats fruit on a tree in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Hornbills perch on a tree in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

A member of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" chats with a foreign tourist who comes to watch birds in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" patrol in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" promote fire prevention knowledge to villagers in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" record the status of hornbills while patrolling in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Members of the "Hornbill Patrol Team" record the status of hornbills in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)

Villagers learn about knowledge of hornbills in Shiti Village, Yingjiang County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 5, 2026. (Xinhua/Gao Yongwei)