NANNING - Three people have been detained for poaching migratory birds in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, authorities said.

Police found four sites where migratory birds were sold in Guangxi's Pingle County on Wednesday morning, and more than 30,000 birds were rescued, according to the public security bureaus of Guilin City and Pingle County.

Further investigation is under way.

Experts say that rising demand in Chinese urban markets has caused an increase in migratory bird poaching. The birds are usually sold locally or in other Chinese cities, including in the southern province of Guangdong, where restaurant diners pay generously for meat considered a delicacy.

China has reported several recent cases of migratory bird poaching.

During the National Day holiday from October 1 to 7, about 3,000 live birds were rescued and 5,000 dead birds were found thanks to the joint efforts of local officials and volunteers. Clap nets stretching more than 10,000 meters in coastal areas of Tianjin Municipality and Tangshan City, Hebei Province were also retrieved.