Recently, staff members at the Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve in Shanghai captured footage of two endangered red-crowned cranes through their video surveillance system.

This marks the first recorded sighting of wild red-crowned cranes in the Dongtan Reserve, China Central Television reported on Sunday.

Typically found wintering in regions such as Yancheng in Jiangsu, the Yellow River Delta in Shandong, and the Liaohe River estuary, the crane's recent record in Chongming Dongtan marks the southernmost wintering of the species along China's coastal areas.

The two cranes were spotted foraging along the edges of the marshy terrain. The region features rich vegetation and has long been a key habitat for various waterfowl, including the nationally protected hooded crane and tundra swan.

In June, two artificially bred red-crowned cranes released by the Yancheng's nature reserve were spotted in the farmlands surrounding the Dongtan Reserve.