Two wildlife habitats – Xiangshan Jiushan Islands and Hangzhou Bay Wetlands - in Ningbo, Zhejiang province were recently listed among China's first group of key terrestrial wild animal habitats.

The list released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration includes 789 habitats that are home to more than 82 percent of the country's critically protected terrestrial species.

Zhongtiedun, an islet of the Jiushan Islands in Xiangshan county, is the largest breeding site for Chinese crested terns.

The Chinese crested tern is classified as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list.

In 2004, several Chinese crested terns were discovered on the Jiushan Islands. Since then, Ningbo has been calling for more efforts to protect the rare birds. The Jiushan Islands National Nature Reserve was established in response.

In 2013, Ningbo cooperated with domestic and foreign experts to establish a breeding area for the birds on Zhongtiedun Islet. More than 170 chicks have been hatched in the area. 

The Hangzhou Bay Wetlands are the largest habitat for migratory birds in Zhejiang. Every year, they host over a million migratory birds, including endangered species like Chinese black-headed gulls and black-faced spoonbills.

More than 300 species of birds have been spotted in the area, with 62 listed as nationally protected wildlife.

According to the Ningbo Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Ningbo is home to 546 land vertebrate species, 91 of which are listed as nationally protected. The city will enhance the protection and restoration of forests and wetlands to create a stable living environment for wildlife.