A group of birds photographed at the Xiao Haier Kou wetland park in the coastal city of Haiyang were identified as reed parrotbills by the city's forestry department.

The medium-sized birds measure approximately 18 centimeters long when fully grown and are listed on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The bird, found in China, Mongolia and Russia, depends on a specific environment and nests and feeds on insects in reeds. Its habitat in China was once limited to Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jiangsu provinces.

The photos of the reed parrotbill in the county level city in Yantai, Shandong province, are the first confirmed sightings of the bird in the city since substantial efforts to revive reed and marsh habitat began.

More than 100 varieties of birds, including swans, egrets, mallards and sea gulls, can be found in the seven square kilometer park. The wetlands also include 260 species of plants and 69 aquatic animals. In 2007, the park was designated as a national city wetland park.

A reed parrotbill at the Xiao Haier Kou wetland park in Haiyang city. [Photo from Jiaodong.net]