Asian openbill storks spotted in Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in SW China's Yunnan

Asian openbill storks soar above the rice terraces in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Mao Jinghua)

A flock of Asian openbill storks, a national second-class protected species in China, was recently seen soaring above the UNESCO-recognized Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Against a backdrop of freshly planted emerald-green paddies cascading down the mountainsides, the birds were seen gliding over the terraced fields and nearby forests, creating a striking scene showing the area's healthy wetland ecosystem and increasing biodiversity.

Asian openbill storks rest in a forested area in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/He Ziguang)

Asian openbill storks soar above the rice terraces in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Mao Jinghua)

Asian openbill storks forage and rest along the edges of the rice terraces in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Mao Jinghua)

Asian openbill storks rest along the edges of the rice terraces in Honghe county, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo/Mao Jinghua)