The star oriental white stork couple in Taonan, Jilin. [Video provided to gojilin.gov.cn]

Sihai Lake National Wetland Park in Taonan, Northeast China's Jilin province, continues to attract rare migratory birds as its ecosystem improves. Among the most closely watched residents are a pair of oriental white storks known as "Taotao" and "Nannan", who have returned to the wetland for their fifth consecutive year.

The star couple has laid two eggs this breeding season. Arriving at their nest for a second year, the storks quickly settled into coordinated incubation routines: one remains in the nest to keep the eggs warm, while the other forages across the wetland. The pair regularly alternate roles, demonstrating strong cooperation and parental instinct.

Nearby magpies have also been observed circling and keeping watch, contributing to a rare display of interspecies interaction within the wetland ecosystem.

The breeding season for oriental white storks typically occurs in open, undisturbed wetlands, with a clutch size of four to six eggs and an incubation period of about 30 days. With only two eggs laid so far, the pair may still produce more in the coming days.