The number of Lady Amherst’s pheasants (chrysolophus amherstiae), a rare white-crested bird distinguished by its vibrant color and long tail, is on the rise in a national nature reserve in southwest China’s Yunnan province in the current winter season, staff members of the reserve and photographers have found.

According to a staff member of the National Nature Reserve of Black-necked Cranes in Huize County of Qujing city, thanks to the improvement of ecology and the enhanced efforts to protect the reserve in recent years, the reserve witnessed a significant rise in the number of the Lady Amherst’s pheasant, a species on the list of the country’s Class-II protected species.

The staff member added that there are over 500 Lady Amherst’s pheasants in the reserve this year.

The staff member was echoed by photographer Liu Yuncheng, who said, “I led some photography enthusiasts to take photos of this bird in the reserve every year in recent years and found that the number has been increasing every year. This year the number hit a record high of about 500.”

The adult male bird is about 140 centimeters in length, while the adult female is about 60 centimeters. The Lady Amherst’s pheasant is herbivorous and eats insects as well.