Two rare black storks, a species under China's top-level national protection, were recently sighted in the Qingshui River basin of the Wutai Mountains, north China's Shanxi Province.

As a endangered species worldwide, black storks are highly sensitive to habitat quality. They have strict requirements for the water quality, food resources and ecological environment of its habitat. Their presence often reflects rich biodiversity and the health of wetland ecosystems.

Black storks feed on fish, frogs, and insects. They typically live alone or in pairs and roost at night in tall trees or cliff faces, and they can grow over one meter in length from beak to tail.