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Large Numbers of Endangered Birds Found in Northwest China
Nearly 1,000 relic gulls, a rare bird species, have been found living in a lake in Shenmu County, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
The gull, which has a dark head, red beak and legs, white plumage, is on the verge of extinction, and is now under first- class state protection in China. It lives on small fish and aquatic plants.
The birds live mainly in China, Russia and Mongolia, and the largest population was found in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
There was no record of the bird in Shaanxi Province before. Experts say the water level of the lakes in Inner Mongolia has dropped in recent years, and the living space for the relic gulls is shrinking.
This is probably the main reason why such a large number of relic gulls migrate to a new habitat, said experts.
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