SHIJIAZHUANG -- Fifteen pairs of the critically endangered bird species, the Oriental stork, have appeared in the coastal areas of Tangshan, a city in north China's Hebei Province.

The rare Oriental storks have been spotted in Heiyanzi Township of Tangshan, with nine pairs of the birds brooding and another six nesting on a high voltage tower, said local sources.

The Oriental stork, also known as "ciconia boyciana" in Latin, is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.

It is a large white bird with black wing feathers. An adult stork is about 1.2 meters long with a wingspan of 2 meters. The birds usually breed in northeast China. They are placed under top state protection in China.

It is believed that there are fewer than 3,000 Oriental storks living worldwide.