And rent it out in the winter time for the snowbirds that come down to the desert.

Migrating birds seek out those same spaces as beacons of food after their long journeys, and it is there that many spring birds can be seen.

In the fall of the year the short days and long nights cause the "clocks" in migratory birds to undergo a kind of "winding" in preparation for their spring return and breeding.

"Traditional migrants were like migratory birds, and felt like both a farmer and a worker," says a report released last year by China's official trade union umbrella group.

On their long journeys, migratory birds may also accidentally ingest pesticides or even poisons that were left specifically for them.