Chinese merganser released into wild after being first in nation to be artificially incubated

After living at the wildlife rescue station of the Changbai Mountain Nature Conservation Management Center for nearly three months, a Chinese merganser and a mallard were released into the Toudao River in Jilin province on Aug 13.

Wading into the river, they embarked on a journey to find a new home in nature.

The Chinese merganser was the first in China to be successfully artificially incubated and raised in the Changbai Mountain region, according to an expert.

Both male and female mergansers have gray, scaly patterns on their bodies with long, reddish-brown crown feathers. The main difference between the two is that the male's neck is dark green, while the female's is brown.

The rare, beautiful waterfowl species has existed for over 10 million years, which is why the birds are often referred to as "living fossils with wings".

It is estimated that 2,400 to 4,500 wild Chinese mergansers are left in the world, according to the center. The species has been on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and it's also under first-grade State protection in China.