JINAN — With the settling down of two Mongolian larks, Taishan Mountain, a popular UNESCO World Heritage site in East China's Shandong province, is now home to 359 species of wild birds, according to the mountain's management committee on Feb 11.

Members of the Taishan bird association observed and photographed the two larks near the Dawen River in the mountains not long ago, said the committee.

The Mongolian lark is a small species of songbird distributed in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Northwest China's Qinghai province, and parts of Northeast China. As a famous caged bird, the species was once largely captured, causing a sharp decline in numbers.

In recent years, the local authorities have taken a series of measures to protect wildlife resources, such as cracking down on illegal activities of bird catching, using eco-friendly methods for forest pest control, and hanging artificial bird nests in the forests by volunteers.

"With the improved environment, the number of wild bird species in Taishan Mountain has increased from 155 in 2002 to the current 359, with new species recorded every year," said Wang Qiyong, an official with the committee.