JINAN -- A rare reed parrotbill has been spotted in some wetlands in the east China city of Qingdao, local authorities said Sunday.

Reed parrotbills are listed as "near threatened" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"The reed parrotbill has never been seen in Qingdao in winter and this is the first sighting of the species at local wetlands in winter," said Xu Liqiang, secretary general of Qingdao Wildlife Conservation Association.

Observations will continue to monitor the species, Xu said.

The reed parrotbill, or paradoxornis heudei, comes from the Sylviidae family. It is often found in Northeast China, the Yangtze River valley and the coastal area of Jiangsu province.