Oriental white storks were spotted in the wetlands of the Horqin National Nature Reserve in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Through field observation, the number of oriental white storks inhabiting in the wetland was determined to be 68.
The Horqin National Nature Reserve is a major breeding habitat for oriental white storks. The storks always perch and forage in the wetlands and prepare for their further southward migration.
The oriental white stork, a migratory bird species under first-class national protection, has been listed as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are only 7,000 to 9,000 oriental white storks around the world. A total of 68 oriental white storks set a record for the highest number of oriental white storks observed in the reserve.