A white-eared night heron rests on the branch of a tree in Qiandao Lake, Chun'an county, Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

White-eared night herons, hailed as "the most mysterious birds in the world", have inhabited in the forests of Qiandao Lake in Hangzhou's Chun'an county for years.

The bird, listed as a Class I protected species in China, is one of the 30 most endangered birds in the world. The IUCN Red List has included the white-eared night heron as a globally endangered species because its population is small, fragmented and declining.

In Zhejiang province, white-eared night herons are summer migratory birds, while a minority has settled in the province.

The white-eared night heron was first discovered near the forests of Qiandao Lake in 2004. According to a field study conducted since 2017, at least 100 pairs of the bird breed in Qiandao Lake every year.

After years of adaptation and breeding, the lake has become the largest and most significant breeding ground for white-eared night herons worldwide. The number of birds has been increasing steadily in recent years.

Their breeding period is from March to July every year. The birds will fly to Qiandao Lake from their wintering habitat to build nests, mate and reproduce. After years of ecological conservation in Chun'an, Qiandao Lake has formed a large area of forests to serve as their habitat. The local fishing-ban policy has helped supply the birds with abundant food.