Endangered, rare Chinese mergansers sighted

Two Chinese mergansers are seen playing on Changjiang River. [Photo/ah.anhuinews.com]

To the delight of bird-watchers and ornithologists, a pair of Chinese mergansers were spotted on Feb 18, flying and playing on the Changjiang River in Qimen county – administered by Huangshan city in Anhui province.

This ancient species has survived for more than 10 million years and it is known as one of the "living fossils of birds". It is also an endemic species in China.

Having a ball: Chinese mergansers cavort on the Changjiang River. [Photo/ah.anhuinews.com]

Currently, there are only about 3,000 of the species left in the world. It has been identified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is a key protected bird at the national level in China.

In recent years, Qimen county has been ramping up its efforts to protect its ecosystem and environment. As a result, a wide variety of wild birds including mallard ducks – another key protected bird at the national level – can often be seen there.