In late April, 12 glossy ibises appeared in Haiwei National Wetland Park in Changjiang Li autonomous county, South China's Hainan province. The bird species is under national first-level protection, and the appearance of this number is a record high for the island province. 

They flew in groups across the wetland, their wings glinting in the sunlight as they danced through the air in search of food.

The glossy ibis, characterized by its long, curving beak and green and redish-brown body, was once believed to be extinct in China. The 2021 edition of the list of State-protected wildlife elevated the glossy ibis from a national second-class protected animal to the highest level of protection — the strictest level-one designation.

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