More than 10 Siberian cranes, a critically endangered bird species, were spotted Tuesday at Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, in east China's Jiangxi Province.

This is the first batch of migratory Siberian cranes observed at Poyang Lake this season, according to the Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve Administration. Staffers of the administration also saw the cranes while the rare birds were in the air earlier in the day.

Siberian cranes usually arrive at Poyang Lake in late October and travel north in late February or early March, depending on the climate. Approximately 98 percent of the global Siberian crane population now winters at Poyang Lake.

Local authorities have taken measures to protect both the wintering birds and wetland resources in the lake area to ensure the safety of migratory birds.