Rare black-bellied darter spotted for first time in south China

(ECNS) -- A black-bellied darter (Anhinga melanogaster), a globally threatened bird species, has been recorded for the first time in Hainan Province at Haiwei National Wetland Park, according to the Hainan Bird Records Center.

Listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List, the species, also known as the oriental darter, is rarely seen in China.

An anhinga melanogaster is spotted at Hawei National Wetland Park in Changjiang, Hainan, July 11, 2025.(Photo provided by Xue Meili)

Xue Meili, deputy director of the park's management center, spotted the bird and noted that the last known sighting in China was in 2021 in Yunnan Province, following a previous record in Fujian in 1931.

Xue believes that the appearance of this rare guest is an affirmation of the wetland park's ongoing ecological restoration and protection efforts.

Anhinga melanogaster is a long-necked waterbird. It primarily feeds on fish but also preys on insects, aquatic reptiles, and amphibians. The species typically inhabits freshwater lakes and rivers but can also be found in mangrove swamps and tidal estuaries.

(By Gong Weiwei)