XI'AN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The population of crested ibis, a bird once thought extinct, has exceeded 3,000 in East Asia, said experts Wednesday at an international forum held in Yangxian County in northwest China.

Until the discovery of seven wild crested ibis on May 23, 1981 in Yangxian, Shaanxi Province, the birds, once common in Japan, China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula, were thought to be extinct in the wild.

Experts from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) gathered Wednesday in the county to discuss the protection of the bird.

Since the discovery, the local government has set up reserves, carried out bird banding, bred the birds in captivity and released them into the wild.

About 2,500 crested ibis live in Shaanxi Province. Their habitat covers around 14,000 square kilometers.

China has given crested ibis to Japan and the ROK for breeding, where the wild bird's populations reached about 500 and 300, respectively.