A total of 133 people have been detained in central China's Hunan Province on suspicion of illegal bird hunting over the past five years, a local forest watchdog said today.

Ninety-two cases have been solved and more than 115,000 wild birds have been rescued from hunters, according to Hu Changqing, vice head of Hunan Provincial Forestry Department.

An month-long crackdown is currently ongoing in Hunan on bird slaughtering, which was launched following the reported deaths of large numbers of migratory birds, Xinhua news agency reported.

Recent media reports and animal activists accused villagers in Hunan of preying on birds to improve their diets, while hobbyists and professional hunters were poaching the birds for sport and profit.

Hunan forest police has started screening for illegal activity regarding migratory birds across the region, intensified law enforcement and supervision and stepped up publicity efforts to ensure safe bird migration.

A large number of birds migrate between north, mainly Siberia and the North China Plain, and the southern part of the country every year.

The unique geological conditions of Hunan and neighbouring Jiangxi Province provide them the only path for south-bound migratory birds.