Twenty-five black-faced spoonbills, or platalea minors – listed among the world's most endangered and rare species of birds – were found on March 15 and 16 in the coastal wetlands of Rudong county and Tongzhou Bay, both in Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province.

A flock of black-faced spoonbills quietly fossick for food in Rudong's coastal wetlands. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

It's the second time the rare birds have been sighted in Nantong since last spring.

The black-faced spoonbill is a wild bird under first-class national protection. The exposed parts of its forehead, face, eyes, throat and other parts are also black – integrated with the black, long, flat, spoon-shaped mouth. Because of its graceful posture, the bird is also known as a "black-faced angel" or "black-faced dancer".

The ever-improving natural environment in Rudong is said to be luring an increasing number of rare birds. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

As the weather gets warmer, the spring migration of birds has entered its peak period. More than 8,000 migratory birds belonging to over 40 species have been observed in Rudong's wetlands in recent days.

It's widely viewed that this is the fruit of the county's increasing efforts to restore and improve its natural environment in recent years.