HANGZHOU, Dec. 10 -- A man in east China's Zhejiang Province was sentenced to eight months in jail Wednesday for killing nine birds, including a nationally protected species.

According to the court of Tiantai County, the suspect, Xu Da, shot nine birds to death with an air gun in the county on Feb. 24 on his way to a wedding feast.

The birds Xu killed included an endangered barred owlet that is under national-level protection, four spotted doves, three moor-hens and one green-winged teal.

According to the court, Xu has violated China's wildlife protection law by killing the rare bird. Apart from the barred owlet, the other birds are all of high economic and research value.