About 1.6 million Chinese netizens recommended the red-crowned crane to be the national bird through an Internet survey which was wound up by Tuesday.

The survey, launched by the Chinese Wildlife Animals Protection Association, China News Service and 20 other news organizations, received 2.5 million votes from Chinese netizens at home and abroad from May 16 to June 7. About 1.6 million votes recommended the red-crowned crane to be national bird.

A source from the China Birds Association said there are more than 9,200 kinds of birds in the world and China is home to 1,300 different birds. In 1960, the International Birds Protection Convention proposed countries around the world to choose their own national bird, an attempt to call on the whole world to protect birds.

So far, more than 50 countries have their own national birds.

Some netizens left remarks on the Internet, saying that having a national bird will help arouse people's awareness of protecting birds.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2004)