Photos taken by a bird lover on February 7 show a group of spoon-billed sandpipers foraging on the beach near Danzhou City on south China's island province of Hainan.

Experienced bird watcher and amateur photographer Fangcao from Shenzhen City, southern China's Guangdong Province, took the pictures on her four-day bird-watching trip to the island province of Hainan. 

Her trip led her to believe that the nature reserves on the island are doing a good job in protecting bird species, but she is also worried about poaching which is still happening despite government crackdown.

The bird is now under first-class state protection in China, according to the latest revision to the country's wildlife protection law. It's listed as critically endangered on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

More from the Contributor:

Bird lover captures bird endemic to southern China's Hainan island

Bird lover captures strange green magpie in Shenzhen City

(All photos taken by Fangcao)

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