A male desert wheatear is spotted in Rudong on May 18. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

A male desert wheatear was spotted by the ecological observation team of the Nantong Environmental Monitoring Center when they conducted a bird survey in Rudong county, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on May 18.

The species was the first recorded in both Nantong and Jiangsu province. Its arrival has increased the number of bird species in Nantong to 437.

The bird, with a body length of 14 to 17 centimeters, mainly inhabits arid desert plains, Gobi sand dunes, deserts, and semi desert areas, as well as bare rocks on mountains, rocky shrublands, and even desert and semi desert areas at elevations of 4,000 to 5,000 meters, especially rocky deserts and wastelands. The birds primarily live in the northwest region of China.