BEIJING: China is stepping-up its mass surveillance, with a flock of camera-equipped drones designed to look like doves.

The surveillance drones are fitted with flapping wings, allowing them to swoop, dive and glide just like the real thing. The robotic spies are almost indistinguishable from real doves and have even been spotted flying in flocks of real birds, helping them to avoid detection from radar.

The machines are fitted with all the technology of a top-end spy drone, including a high-definition camera for photographs and video clips, GPS antenna, flight control system, and satellite data link.

More than 30 military and government agencies have already deployed the birdlike drones to spy on the population, sources claim. According to media, these Big Brother-like doves can be found in the skies above the Xinjiang region of northwest China.

The ‘dove drones’ weigh less than half a pound (200 grams) and sport a wingspan of some 20 inches (50 centimetres). These spy drones can fly at speeds of up to 25 mph (40km/h) for up to 30 minutes.