Nine Siberian cranes were spotted for the first time ever in south China's Guangdong Province, 800 kilometers away from their traditional primary wintering ground of Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The birds were found where artificial wetlands were formed out of harvested paddy rice fields and lotus ponds, which are suitable for migratory birds to stay and forage in. The place lies in a town of Xinhui District in Guangdong's Jiangmen City.

"We have some paddy rice fields and shallow ponds here in Sanjiang Town. And Siberian cranes like staying and foraging in shallow waters with a depth of not exceeding 45 centimeters," said assistant researcher with the Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources.

A group of experts invited by local authorities confirmed that eight of the nine Siberian cranes are adult birds and one cub.

There are now no more than 4,000 Siberian cranes living around the world. The birds are now under first-class state protection in China. They have been listed as a "critically endangered species" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Siberian cranes reproduce in Siberia during summer and migrate south to winter. Every year, they take three routes southward, the west line, the middle line and the east line, which is their main migrating line for now.

(Cover image via VCG. Editor: Zhao Ying.)

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