Crested ibises are spotted in Qingchuan county, Guangyuan, Sichuan province on Dec 7. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

Last weekend, photographers in Qingchuan county, Guangyuan, Sichuan province captured rare images of crested ibises in flight, foraging, and playing.

Li Wenze, director of the wildlife protection center at the Qingchuan Forestry Bureau, identified the species in the photos as crested ibises, often referred to as "Oriental Gem" or "Birds of Auspice."

The crested ibis is an endangered species and a first-class protected animal in China. Once considered extinct, seven wild crested ibises were found in Hanzhong in May 1981. In the last four decade, Shaanxi has adopted measures involving environmental conservation and wetland restoration in the crested ibis' habitat, resulting its  population to recover.

With more than 11,000 crested ibis globally, the species has been downgraded from critically endangered to endangered.

"The crested ibis is highly selective about its habitat, and its presence here underscores the significant progress Qingchuan has made in wetland protection and restoration in recent years," said Li.

He added, Qingchuan county now boasts a total wetland area of 613.33 hectares, providing an increasingly suitable habitat for many nationally protected bird species, including bar-headed geese, green herons, crested ibises, and painted snipes.