Feathered friends provide potential boon for county

Chen Yangyang, 32, and his family operate a guesthouse and a bird hide near 80K, the 80-kilometer marker along the 117-km-long Zhamo Highway that runs between Bomi and Metog counties in the Xizang autonomous region.

Bird-watchers from across the country have become a major source of income for the family over the past two years.

Chen charges 100 yuan ($14) per person for a successful sighting of a "highlight bird" at his bird hide near 80K. A highlight bird is one that is most sought after by birders, who are willing to pay to watch it.