Thousands of relict gulls are hatching their eggs on the central island of Hongjiannao Lake, China's largest desert freshwater lake, in Yulin, Shaanxi province.
He Heping, director of the administrative bureau of Hongjiannao National Nature Reserve, said the hatching period of relict gulls lasts from late April to May.
"According to preliminary statistics, the number of relict gull nests has reached between 4,500 and 5,000," he said.