Saunders's gulls gather in Xiamen, SE China's Fujian

Photo shows Saunders's gulls, a bird species under first-class state protection in China in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)

Saunders's gulls, a bird species under first-class state protection in China, have recently been spotted in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. With their spring plumage, their heads are now covered in black feathers, giving them a cute look.

According to Ke Yukun, a member of the Xiamen Birdwatching Association, this year, about 200 Saunders's gulls are wintering in the area, often gathering to forage and ride the waves during low tide.

According to a staff member from the city's bureau of natural resources and planning, once the birds molt into their breeding plumage, they will leave Xiamen in April for their migration and return in November.

Photo shows a Saunders's gull, a bird species under first-class state protection in China in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Ke Yukun)

Photo shows Saunders's gulls, a bird species under first-class state protection in China in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)

A Saunders's gull catches crabs in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Photo/Ke Yukun)

Photo shows Saunders's gulls, a bird species under first-class state protection in China in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Bo)