Endangered Oriental storks spotted raising chicks at Chaohu Lake in E China's Anhui for first time

A male Oriental stork watches over two chicks from its nest atop a power transmission tower at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Chen Haidong)

A pair of Oriental storks, an endangered bird species, was recently observed raising chicks atop a 220-kilovolt transmission tower at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei, east China's Anhui Province.

This marks the first time the bird species has been spotted at the wetland.

Oriental storks are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are under national first-class protection in China.

They are typically found in northeast China's Sanjiang Plain, with Anhui having served only as a wintering habitat.

In recent years, the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland has developed a nearly 2,500-hectare restoration zone, creating diverse habitats including lakes, marshes and grassy shallows. Abundant in fish, shrimp and vegetation, the wetland offers prime conditions for bird breeding.

In an effort to protect rare bird species, State Grid Hefei Power Supply Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of State Grid Corporation of China, has partnered with wetland management authorities to establish a routine joint patrol mechanism.

The company has intensified inspections of power lines within the wetland and installed protective hardware to keep birds safe.

A pair of Oriental storks raise chicks above a 220-kilovolt power transmission line at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Chen Haidong)

A staff member of a power company installs an artificial bird nest atop a power transmission tower at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Chen Haidong)

Two staff members of a power company use binoculars to observe bird activity near power transmission towers at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Chen Haidong)

Two egrets forage in the grassy shallows beneath a power transmission line at the Shibalianwei Ecological Wetland around Chaohu Lake in Feidong county, Hefei city, east China's Anhui Province. (Photo/Chen Haidong)