After years of conservation efforts, Zhongtiedun Islet in Ningbo, Zhejiang province has become the world's largest breeding site for the elusive Chinese crested tern.

Each April, Zhongtiedun Islet of the Xianshan Jiushan Archipelago National Nature Reserve transforms into a bustling bird hub as thousands of great crested terns arrive to breed. Amongst this flock, a few stand out with their unique appearance - pure white feathers and black-tipped bills. These are the endangered Chinese crested terns, often dubbed "the birds of legend".

The Chinese crested tern, first recorded in Indonesia in 1861, seemed to vanish after the 1940s, leading ornithologists to believe the species might have become extinct. However, more than six decades later, the seabird was rediscovered on the islands off the coast of eastern China's provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang.

Since 2013, Zhejiang has been at the forefront of efforts to conserve these seabirds. To encourage them to stay and breed in the area, innovative strategies have been implemented, including the use of audio recordings of tern calls to attract them. After years of such efforts, Zhongtiedun Islet has emerged as the world's largest breeding ground for the bird, accounting for over 80 percent of its global hatching and breeding totals.

This year's breeding projects recently started in the reserve.

"The overall incubation status of the Chinese crested terns in the nature reserve is good," said a staff member at the breeding site, "We've spotted 20 Chinese crested terns, with eight eggs currently incubating. We will soon be able to meet the baby terns.”