Visitors admire bird photos at the photography exhibition in Nantong on May 26. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A bird-themed photography exhibition opened at the administrative center of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province on May 26.

As part of a series of activities for the city's "May Wind" culture month, the event was hosted by the local publicity department, environmental protection bureau, and federation of literary and art circles.

A total of 226 photos were selected out of 1,380 entries to be displayed at the exhibition. The photos depict the lives of 200 types of wild birds in Nantong.

"Through photography, we hope the public can learn more about how to protect birds and learn to better respect nature," said Li Yinong, vice-chairman of the city's photographers association.

The exhibition will later be held at other venues across the city, such as the Nantong Museum, the international conference center, and the Wenfeng City Plaza.

In recent years, Nantong has seen an increasing number of migratory birds. Many photographers have attributed this to Nantong's improved natural environment.

"Migratory birds are picky about their environment. They only stop in places with high-quality air and water and abundant food," said Qian Jinghua, a bird lover and shutterbug.

According to Qian, migratory birds previously only visited coastal areas in Nantong. But now they are often seen in Binjiang Park and the downtown area during migration seasons.

Nantong is currently home to more than 420 kinds of wild birds, which account for about one third of the country's total. Endangered species, such as spoon-billed sandpipers and black-faced spoonbills, have also been spotted in the city.