KUNMING -- An image of a glossy ibis, a rare bird once thought extinct in China, has recently been captured by a wildlife photographer in Southwest China's Yunnan province.

The ibis was sighted in a wetland in Yunnan's Yingjiang county on Jan 14. The photographer took pictures of the bird flying, foraging in the water and preening its feathers.

Yingjiang has seen an increasing number of glossy ibises thanks to its improving environment and strengthened ecological restoration efforts. In January 2020, the species was spotted in the county for the first time in recent years.

The glossy ibis, a close relative of the endangered crested ibis, is under second-class state protection in China. Experts once believed the birds were extinct in the country due to pollution and shrinking habitats.