The Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus is the most diminutive member of the cormorant family. It had not been sighted in China for many years until it was rediscovered at the Manas Wetland in Xinjiang in 2018, but no breeding records had been observed yet. From May 20 to June 23, 2024, we used a drone to discover 25 Pygmy Cormorant nests, containing 121 chicks in the reed wetlands of Nalati National Wetland Park, Xinjiang (Figs. 1, 2). The average brood size was 3.9 ± 1.1 chicks (n = 15), and the average distance between nests was 30.39 ± 1.35 m (n = 24). Using Nearest Neighbor Analysis, we analyzed the spatial distribution characteristics of the nests. The analysis revealed that the nesting sites of Pygmy Cormorants exhibiting an aggregated distribution pattern within the species, while showing a significant avoidance pattern when compared to Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, which breeds in the same area (Tables 2, 3, Fig. 3). This discovery marks the first recorded breeding occurrence of the Pygmy Cormorant in China, and highlights the Nalati National Wetland Park as a critical breeding habitat for this species. Further ecological monitoring and conservation efforts are urgently needed to support the breeding population in this region.