Recently, on the frozen, snow-covered surface of Tangzhishan Reservoir in Shunyi District, Beijing, 16 common cranes were spotted resting. Their tall, slender figures created an eye-catching scene against the freezing background.

Classified as a national category II key protected wildlife species, common cranes are large wading birds that breed in the north of the world during the summer and migrate south to overwinter. Beijing lies along their migration route. However, it is quite rare that such a large flock appeared on the frozen surface of a reservoir in a plain area. Experts believe that this phenomenon may be related to recent weather changes, which resulted in slight adjustments to their migration route, as well as the continuous improvement of the local ecological environment in Shunyi.

[Photo by Jiang Jingsheng, a wildlife photographer]

(Source: Beijing Daily)