Large flocks of great cormorants, a large water bird, have gathered in Bosten Lake of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to breed.

The widespread black bird feeds on the sea, in estuaries or on freshwater lakes and rivers. They build the nest in trees, on the ledges of cliffs, or on the ground of rocky islands to avoid predators.

All photos were taken on Sunday by Nian Lei, a photographer based in Xinjiang.

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