Rare spoonbills spotted in wetlands in Xiamen, SE China's Fujian

Eurasian spoonbills, a bird species under national second-class protection in China, fly above the Maluanwan wetlands in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)

A good number of black-faced spoonbills and Eurasian spoonbills were recently seen foraging and roosting in reeds at the Maluanwan wetlands in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, adding a touch of beauty against the blue skies and waters.

"Black-faced spoonbills are one of the most endangered bird species in the world. They are under national first-class protection in China and known as the 'giant pandas of birds'," said Chen Hao, deputy director of the Xiamen Birdwatching Association.

Eurasian spoonbills look similar to black-faced spoonbills, but can be distinguished from the latter by their white facial skin, according to Chen, who added that Eurasian spoonbills are under national second-class protection in China.

Eurasian spoonbills were rarely seen in Xiamen before, but this year over 20 of them have been spotted at the Maluanwan wetlands, Chen said.

"As Xiamen's ecological environment continues to improve, more and more species of migratory birds overwinter and inhabit here," said a staff member of the natural resources and planning bureau of Xiamen.