Endangered bird species spotted at north China lake

SHIJIAZHUANG, March 20 (Xinhua) -- A group of endangered Dalmatian pelicans was seen at a lake in northern China's Hebei Province last year, the provincial forestry and grassland bureau said on Monday.

The large water birds are under first-class state protection in China and have a global population of just 10,000 to 20,000. They are usually found in the northern regions of China and migrate south in the winter.

Bureau official Liu Xun said four pelicans were spotted at three national nature reserves from August to December last year. A sighting at Laiyuan Lake was the first time a group of the species was found in Hebei.

Liu said the appearance of rare and endangered birds shows that Hebei has made remarkable progress in wetland protection over the years by improving its legal and management systems for wetlands.