In Lianyungang in eastern China, hundreds of Oriental storks (Ciconia boyciana) — more than 300 birds by recent counts — have gathered on the city’s wetlands this winter, marking the season’s first large-scale sighting of the species in the area.

Slender, white, and long-legged, the storks were seen striding across tidal flats, pecking for food, and lifting into the air with outstretched wings. Their bright plumage against the wetland landscape created a striking ecological tableau, drawing many locals and photographers.

The Oriental stork is a large wading bird and a winter visitor that prefers wetlands, marshes, and shallow ponds. It is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List and is protected at the highest national level in China. It is often praised locally as the “panda of birds.”

Conservation and wetland restoration efforts in recent years have noticeably improved habitat quality and biodiversity, creating more suitable stopover and wintering habitats for rare migratory birds such as the Oriental stork.