An Oriental darter, a globally near-threatened species, has been spotted for the first time in Hainan, south China's island province, according to the provincial bird records agency.

At Changjiang Haiwei National Wetland Park, a relatively large Oriental darter was recently spotted atop a tree canopy. The bird has a brown head and neck, with a distinctive white stripe running from its chin down the neck. The rest of its feather appeared in darker shades.

The Oriental darter, a cormorant-like waterbird with a long neck, is primarily a fish hunter found in freshwater lakes and rivers. Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, it's now extremely rare in China.