Endangered birds spotted in E China

HEFEI - A bevy of Chinese mergansers, an endangered bird species under state class-one protection, have been captured on camera by shutterbugs in a wetland in eastern China's Anhui province.

This is the fifth year in a row that Chinese mergansers have been observed in Huoshan county. "We've seen about 10 such birds this year," said Du Shihong, an amateur photographer.

"I'm so happy to see them every year. It is rare to see such lovely and cute birds. Their appearance shows our environment is getting better and better, which is even more exciting," said Du.

Chinese mergansers have a history of more than 10 million years. There are about 1,000 of them worldwide, and the far east of Russia and China serve as their main breeding ground.

In China, the birds mostly live in the northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, northern Hebei province and the south side of the Yangtze River.