Oriental gems: Two crested ibises resting on a branch in Yangxian county, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province. — Xinhua Beijing: Thanks to resolute protection efforts, several of China’s endangered birds have seen significant population growth over the past decades, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration revealed. The crested ibis, known as “the oriental gem” and once thought to be extinct as a result of human activities such as urbanisation and pollution, has seen its population boom from seven in 1981 to more than 5,000 now. Over the past 40 years, the number of black-faced spoonbill has grown from 1,000 to 4,000, while the population of Siberian cranes has climbed from 210 to 4,500, according to the administration.