Approximately 44 juvenile terns, all artificially incubated, have arrived in their new home in Sanya, a tropical resort city in southern China's island province of Hainan, after a four-day journey from Qingdao, Shandong province.
The terns, which were domesticated prior being released, are part of a project to revive the species' habitat in China, according to a report from China Daily on Tuesday.
Sanya and its surrounding waters were once home to a large population of gull species, including seagulls and terns.
The project was initiated in March by the Blue Ribbon Ocean Conservation Society, a non-profit group established in Sanya that focuses on protecting the oceans.
"We have been to Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces, as well as other places that were known as ideal habitats for seagulls and terns in China to investigate, and we talked with local experts about the birds for several months. Finally, we decided to introduce birds from Qingdao," Bian Yuqin, a Society staff worker, told China Daily.
"All of the juvenile terns were incubated from eggs rescued by the Qingdao Wildlife Rescue Association from abandoned nests or eggs that were on their way to dining tables," he added.
Society head Zhang Shiping, who has been studying wild birds for over 15 years, said that terns were chosen because young wild seagulls cannot be domesticated, he said.
"I was worried a lot that the birds would not survive the long journey to the new environment, but it seems that they took it very well and adapted to their new home quickly. I am relieved now: All of them are finding food in the feed trough we prepared," Bian said.
The birds will be taught to recognize different kinds of whistles and commands, including being told to go back to the cage.
Luo Jiuru, a marine environment expert who has called for bringing seagulls back to Santa for decades, told Hainan Daily that she was excited to see terns in Sanya again.
"Sanya is now undertaking an ecology recovery project. Rivers are cleaner, more trees and grasses are being planted," said the 81-year old Luo.
"Sanya has a better environment now, and this makes the project much easier."