An Oriental White Stork walks along the lake in Nanhaizi.

An Oriental White Stork was recently found at Milu Park, in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (Beijing E-Town).

This is the first time that an Oriental White Stork has been seen in the area.

The Oriental White Stork is a national first-level protected creature and has been classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Beijing is not its typical habitat, but is located along the storks' north-south migration route. Consequently, a few Oriental White Storks may briefly stop in its reservoirs, rivers, lakes and wetlands.

According to the monitoring personnel at the Beijing Biodiversity Conservation Research Center, the center has previously observed Oriental White Storks flying overhead, but this is the first time one of this species has landed in E-Town.

An Oriental White Stork walks along the lake in Nanhaizi.

Oriental White Storks, a large wading bird species, migrate north during this season. They may have seen the excellent wetland environment in the Milu Park while on their migration route and chosen to temporarily rest there.

Nanhaizi Milu Park is one of the bird-watching bases in Beijing, a wetland park that is open to the public for free and that has a beautiful ecological environment. It is a prime destination for observing milu deer and birds. Every year, the park attracts many rare and beautiful migratory birds, including recent sightings of rare birds such as the Black Stork, Golden Eagle, and Chinese Bulbul.

The gradually improving wetland ecosystem in the Nanhaizi area has made it not only a paradise for local animals but also a warm rest stop for migrating "visitors".