Beijing: Forestry authorities in China's Sichuan province confirmed the sighting of a white-eared night heron, the most endangered of the heron species, numbering less than 1,000 globally.

Jin Deqiang, an official in charge of wild life protection affairs at the Forestry Bureau of Guangyuan city, on Thursday said the bird was spotted on March 10 on the Dongxi river shoreline, Xinhua news agency reported.