About 20 Oriental white storks, a species near extinction, have apparently elected to spend the summer in east China's Poyang Lake Nature Reserve, a major habitat of migratory birds, after their fellows flew back to the north.

Since mid-May, workers at the reserve had seen several Oriental white storks, which were supposed to have left after their winter vacation at the largest freshwater lake in China. Later, local residents reported that they had discovered the bird's eggs while herding cattle, said Ji Weitao, deputy director of the reserve's administration bureau.

Ji said 13 storks also stayed in the reserve last summer, but this puzzled experts because they found few clues to prove that the birds had bred.

Only about 3,000 Oriental white storks are left in the world, and they usually breed in northern parts of China and Russia. One third of them winter over at Poyang Lake.

Experts attributed the bird's extended stay to the improvement in the ecological environment as the local government has banned fishing and net-trapping in the reserve since 1986.

"If we can get further proof the bird is breeding at the lake and take protective measures to promote their breeding here, it will be very helpful for the protection and recovery of the species," said Ji, adding that a project to protect the endangered bird is in operation.

Established in 1983, the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve is home to 312 species of birds, of which 52 are under state protection with the total number of birds at roughly one million.

Rich in aquatic resources, it is also one of the world's most important wetlands.

(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2003)