Recently, a flock of critically endangered wild ducks was sighted in a wetland at the foot of Mount Tai, East China's Shandong province.

A flock of critically endangered wild ducks fly through a wetland at the foot of the Mount Tai, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: china-taishan]

Taishan Bird Loving Association captured photographs of a flock od Baer's pochards, which is protected by the State as a first-class species. It was the first recorded population that has exceeds 1,500 in the city of Tai'an.

Taishan Bird Loving Association capture photographs of a flock of Baer's pochards, which is protected by the State as a first-class species. [Photo/WeChat account: china-taishan]

Every early spring, the species migrates from the south to the north. They prefer lakes, reservoirs, and marshes, where they frequently live with other wild ducks and feed on aquatic plant roots, leaves, stems, and seeds.

The population of the Baer's pochard has declined dramatically during the 1990s as a result of habitat degradation, overhunting, and human meddling. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated it as a "critically endangered" species.

According to a survey on the Baer's pochard conducted in 2020, the entire number of Baer's pochards is no more than 1,500, with about 300 spotted in Tai'an last year.

The city's efforts to restore its wetlands and reduce pollution along with human intervention are credited for increasing the number of bird species in Tai'an.