Photos taken on Friday, February 19, show three Siberian cranes under first-class state protection wintering near a lake in Jingzhou City, central China's Hubei Province.

In January, they became the first winter guests of their species to arrive at Lingjiao Lake in Hubei, as most of the bird population, around 98 percent, spends winter around Poyang Lake in east China's Jiangxi Province. The sight has been described by bird lovers in the city as very rare.

Niu Yingsheng, a 61-year-old bird lover and amateur photographer, took the pictures on a routine bird-watching tour across the city.

(All images taken by Niu Yingsheng)

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