Three black stork chicks, a species under first-class protection in China, were observed completing their first flights from a cliff in Ganquan County of Yan'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Friday, 76 days after hatching.

The first chick took flight from the nest in early morning, landing on a road about 20 meters away to embark on its first-ever ground adventure.
About an hour later, the second chick cautiously tested the nest's edge -- peering out, stretching its wings, and after several hesitations, leaped down, landing steadily on the rocks below. After another hour, the third chick followed suit smoothly.
Following their first flights, the trio lingered nearby, exploring the roads and streams close to the nest.
Black storks have strict requirements for their habitat's ecological environment. In recent years, sustained efforts to manage and improve the local ecological environment have provided wild animals and plants with favorable living spaces, thereby enhancing biodiversity.