Yang Meilin ushers a group of silver pheasants. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yang Meilin, a villager from Ziyun, has come up with ways of protecting birds, especially the silver pheasants, over the years.

Yang, in his late 70s, has grown a fondness for birds after he accidentally found some feeding on grains in his farmhouse a few years ago.

"They are very cute, with the white feathers and long tails," he says.

Yang gets up early in the morning and goes into the woods to scatter grain on a daily basis. He then imitates the bird voice, which draws out silver pheasants to feed, especially during winter, when finding food can be tough in the natural setting. Yang has rescued injured birds and gotten them professional help when treating serious cases before releasing them back into the wilderness.