Flocks of migratory birds are spotted in a wetland in Rudong. [Photo provided to nantong.gov.cn]

Flocks of migratory birds flying southward this season recently took a rest in a mudflat or wetlands in Rudong, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

Rare birds, including Chinese crested terns, or Sterna bernsteini, have been spotted by local shutterbugs in recent days.

A Chinese crested tern flies through the sky over Rudong. [Photo provided to nantong.gov.cn]

There are less than 150 adult Chinese crested terns in the world. Because they are so rare, they are often dubbed "the bird of myth".

In recent years, more than 300 rare bird species have appeared in Rudong's wetlands, attracting many bird lovers during migratory seasons.

A larus saundersi walks in a wetland in Rudong. [Photo provided to nantong.gov.cn]

Rudong is favored by birds for its four distinct seasons, abundant sunlight and rainfall, and moderate climate. The more than 1 million mu (66,666.67 hectares) of wetlands in the county serve as an important stopover for millions of migrant birds.

Rudong has in recent years attached great importance to the protection of biodiversity and the restoration of wetlands.

For example, Rudong invested more than 10 million yuan ($1.45 million) last year building a 660-mu reserve for spoon-billed sandpipers, which is known as the giant panda of birds. The county also restored 530 mu of wetland the same year.