Pheasant-tailed jacana recorded in cameras at the Hutuohe Wetland. (Photo by Wang Xiurong)

Of late, some shutterbugs have sighted and recorded in their cameras a kind of water bird known as pheasant-tailed jacana, which falls under the state second class protection.

It was the first time that such rare bird was recorded in cameras at the Hutuohe Wetland. The discovery of the bird, which is also known as Water Phoenix or Water Fairy, has provided evidence to the betterment in the quality of the ecology of the wetland.

The eye-catching beautiful waterbird usually lives individually or in small groups or in large groups in winter on their preferred habitat of shallow freshwater lakes, ponds, and wetland with extensive emergent and floating vegetation. Their big feet and claws enable them to walk and perch on such emergent and floating plants as lily, lotus and water chestnut. They may also swim or wade in water reaching their body and forage mainly for invertebrate prey.

Editor: Song Lifang