XINING -- The population of endangered black-necked cranes has seen remarkable growth over the past decade in Northwest China's Qinghai province, said the provincial forestry and grassland bureau on Tuesday.

A systematic population survey and migration tracking of black-necked cranes in Qinghai revealed that the population of these cranes there has exceeded 2,600 -- an increase of more than 1,400 compared with the population 10 years ago.

Among these, 465 made a seasonal stop en route to their destination in Gansu, while the remaining cranes are summer migrants who come to Qinghai to breed and rest.

Listed as a bird species under national first-class protection, these cranes mainly inhabit plateaus, meadows, marshes, reed swamps, lakeside meadow swamps and river valley swamps at altitudes of 2,500-5,000 meters. It is the only crane in the world that breeds and grows at high altitude.

In China, this species is mainly found in Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai and Xizang.

In recent years, as the ecological environment in Qinghai continued to improve, the number and species of migratory birds monitored in the province registered steady growth.