Black-necked cranes are seen at Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in Zhaotong city, Southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo by Zheng Yuanjian for chinadaily.com.cn)

The number of black-necked cranes that are wintering at Dashanbao National Nature Reserve for Black-necked Cranes in Southwest China's Yunnan Province has climbed to an estimated 1,600, a record high since the the reserve was established in 1990.

Every winter, lake water at the plateau recedes into vast wetlands, turning the Dashanbao reserve, which is at an altitude of 3,110 meters, into an ideal habitat for black-necked cranes.

With an average temperature below minus 10 degrees Celsius in early morning, Dashanbao is carpeted under a 10-centimeter-thick snow cover. The birds dotted the white scene with their black feathers, putting on a unique show akin to an animated Chinese ink wash painting.