Under a bridge in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in southwest China, a great egret rests on a bridge pier. It remained motionless, seemingly deep in thought.This waterbird, once widely distributed in southern China, nearly disappeared due to overhunting and habitat degradation. Thanks to strict conservation measures and continuous environmental improvement, the egret population has begun to recover, and its distribution is expanding. Their white silhouettes can now often be seen even in urban rivers and lakes.