The Chinese crested terns are seen breeding their chicks in Jiushan Islands, Xiangshan County in east China's Zhejiang Province. The breeding time of the bird is usually from May to August, and it usually nests on sandy or crispy ground with sparse dwarf plants around. A pair of birds lays only one egg a year, and the parents take turns to hatch and raise together.

The Chinese crested tern is the rarest bird in China, it is listed as a critically endangered species by International Union for Conservation of Nature. The bird was considered extinct after its first discovery in 1861, but not until four adult birds and four young birds were rediscovered on the Mazu Islands off the coast of Fujian Province in 2000 was the information rectified. In 2004, another breeding group was also found on the Jiushan Islands off the coast of Zhejiang Province.

The birds feed on small fish in the upper layer of the ocean and are the flagship species of the marine ecosystem.

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