Red-crowned cranes spotted at Zhalong National Nature Reserve in NE China's Heilongjiang

Red-crowned cranes fly at Zhalong National Nature Reserve in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

Covering an area of 210,000 hectares, Zhalong National Nature Reserve, in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, provides an excellent habitat for rare waterfowl, including red-crowned cranes.

As the largest habitat for wild red-crowned cranes in the world, the number of wild red-crowned cranes in the reserve has grown to about 300.

Of the world's 15 species of cranes, six can be found in the reserve. It is home to 468 species of higher plants and 269 species of birds, including 15 under first-class state protection and 43 under second-class state protection, dubbing it the "paradise of birds and hometown of cranes."

As one of China's first nature reserves included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, Zhalong National Nature Reserve has become one of the 17 best preserved wetlands of international importance in the world.

Photos were taken by Xu Xingye and Li Changzhu.