On April 14, Lin Xiuwen posted a message on his WeChat Moment account: "Green cochoa can be regularly seen in Napo, looking at the front horizontally with a distance of 10 meters. The observation window might last up to two weeks."

Known as Uncle Lin among the country's bird enthusiasts, Lin has been a promoter of bird-watching in Napo county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, for many years and an influencer of its own kind. "Hundreds of my birding friends pay attention to my WeChat messages," Lin told China Daily.

The message about green cochoa, a rare bird sought after by thousands of bird-watchers and photographers, will certainly bring hundreds of customers to the farmer who found the breeding site of a pair of the birds.

The influx of customers will certainly bring a solid income to the farmer. However, he is not the only one who has benefited from the booming bird-watching economy in Napo.

Lin and Ma Chaozhong, director of the Laohutiao Regional Nature Reserve in the border county, have helped develop five bird monitoring spots for a few families in the reserve.

At the No 4 monitoring spot, nestled near the tiny settlement of Nongwai, Tan Xiuquan is the dedicated operator of the bird hide.

It was there that the black-eared shrike-babbler frequently made its appearance. Tan knew it well — the small bird with an olive-green back, a bright yellow forehead, and distinctive white eye rings, often seen flitting through the canopy in mixed-species flocks.

"Recently, the white-browed piculet has been a regular visitor," she said, standing near the monitoring spot, where a few bird photographers sat on stools to take photos of the visiting birds.

At 45, she remembered when she first took on the responsibility several years ago. The biggest challenge, she said, was simply, "not knowing the birds". She didn't know which species are common around the area and which are rare. She couldn't identify the birds visiting her monitoring spots.

Gradually, Tan began to observe her avian visitors and take photos of them with her mobile phone. After learning their names, she tried hard to memorize them. Over time, those once-foreign bird names became as familiar as the faces of her neighbors.

Now, her spot has regularly attracted bird enthusiasts from across the country. Every day she works from 8 am to 5 pm and will charge 100 yuan ($14.66) per customer to take photos of some highlight species appearing at her bird hide.

Compared to Tan's spot, the No 1 monitoring spot offers glimpses of another star bird: the rufous-backed sibia.

Its caretaker, Ma Zhenjie, 40, had previously worked in Guangdong province, enduring the constant separation from his family. Now, overseeing monitoring spots 1 and 3, he is finally able to be close to them.

Like Tan, Ma had started with a blank slate when it came to bird identification.

But, spending his days in the verdant hills, he slowly learned to recognize the myriad species.

His favorite is one of Napo's special birds, the green cochoa. His two children, a fourth-grader and a first-grader, have also caught his passion. Their phones are filled with photos of birds.

"My kids especially love the emerald cuckoo, because of its vibrant plumage," he said. "When his teacher asked my eldest son how many kinds of birds he knew, he proudly said he knew more than 10!"