Endangered spoonbill birds thrive in Dalian, Liaoning(1/8)

A flock of black-faced spoonbills fly between their nests at tiny uninhabited islands and the nearby feeding field where the rivers meets the sea in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

67 black-faced spoonbills, a critically endangered species, were born this summer in Zhuanghe, Dalian, Liaoning Province.

By the time they fly south for winter in mid-October, the total number of the group is expected to reach 165, the highest number recorded in Zhuanghe.

According to monitoring statistics from Zhuanghe's wildlife protection station, the group built 49 nests at two tiny uninhabited islands since June, turning Xingrentuo and Yuanbaotuo into a breeding ground.

A black-faced spoonbills and a seagull explore a tiny uninhabited island in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Featuring a bill shaped like a long spoon, the bird became classified as critically endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature in 2000.

Sources from the wildlife protection said that observation results show the number of black-faced spoonbills in the northeastern city has been increasing steadily in recent years, indicating that the suitable quality of the local ecological environment continues to improve.

Since 2003, the local government in Zhuanghe has taken measures to strengthen the protection of black-faced spoonbills, marking an ecological success for the city.

Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province, is a key breeding zone for black-faced spoonbills in China. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

A flock of black-faced spoonbills fly between their nests at tiny uninhabited islands and the nearby feeding field where the rivers meets the sea in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province, has become a breeding place for the endangered black-faced spoonbills in China. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

67 black-faced spoonbills were born this summer in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Black-faced spoonbills rest at a tiny uninhabited island in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

Black-faced spoonbills gather on a tiny uninhabited island in Zhuanghe, Dalian of Liaoning Province. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)