West China
Endangered bird spotted in SW China nature reserve
2021-10-08 14:23:15
KUNMING, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- An endangered white-eared night heron was observed in the Ailaoshan National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Saturday night, local forestry authorities said on Wednesday.
Experts estimate that China is currently home to fewer than 200 white-eared night herons.
Liang Tao, an official at the reserve, said the endangered bird was spotted at a monitoring point at 10 p.m. on Saturday. The species is mainly found in the provinces of Hainan, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou.
In 2000, it was classified as endangered (EN) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Species and has since remained as such. It is now a first-class protected wild animal in China, according to Liang.
Zhao Xuebing, who has a doctorate in ornithology from Yunnan University, said a white-eared night heron was spotted at the same monitoring point in October, 2008. Enditem
Editor:Jiang Yiwei