Rare bird spotted for second time in Hainan county

A glossy ibis, a bird listed as a national first-class protected wildlife species, was spotted this week in the Haiwei National Wetland Park in Changjiang Li autonomous county, Hainan province. This marks the second recorded sighting of the rare bird in the county since April of last year.

"It was incredibly exciting! I stood in the same spot for five hours that day, just watching it," said Xue Meili, deputy director of the park's management center, who recorded the sighting. The observed bird was a sub-adult. "Although there was only one, it was still a rare find. I went back and waited for it the entire next day and will continue to monitor the area during this period."

The glossy ibis is known for its long, curved bill and preference for shallow wetlands. Its feathers can exhibit a metallic, copper-green sheen in good light. Once considered extinct in China during the 20th century, the species was elevated from national second-class to first-class protected status, the highest level of protection, in the 2021 edition of China's National List of Protected Wildlife. A record 13 glossy ibises were documented in the park in April 2024, the highest number ever recorded in Hainan.