Seven Taiga bean geese (Anser fabalis) were recently sighted in Jinjiang city, Fujian province, marking the first appearance of the birds in the area, according to a local bird enthusiast.

Wu Kechao, head of the Quanzhou Birdwatching Society, said that a group of local birdwatchers found the geese, which are migratory waterfowl, roosting in a lotus pond near Jinjiang, which is under the jurisdiction of Quanzhou city.

The bird, with dull brown plumage and an orange bill with a black base and tip, is about the same size as the common goose.

Wu said that the birds are winter visitors to South China. They usually leave their primary breeding grounds in Siberia between August and September and migrate to South China in October and November.

During their migration and wintering months, they like staying in marshes, lakes, paddy fields and in tidal mudflats.

"Their visit is proof of the improving environment in Jinjiang," Wu said.

"In recent years, our better protected farmlands and wetlands have become a safe sanctuary or a nice stopover site for migratory birds in the winter."