Birds in China

266 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for China has 266 bird species recorded regularly there: 71 residents, 82 summer visitors, 67 winter visitors, 40 passage migrants and 6 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 3.1 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in China in September

167 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 167 birds in September

Arriving in September: Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Hen Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Common Crane, Bluethroat and 19 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in China each month: most in May (198), fewest in August (157). Choose a month to see its birds.

198167
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)62 families

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All 266 birds on the list

Showing 208–230 of 266 species

Short-toed Lark

Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactylaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Scops-owl

Eurasian Scops-owl

Otus scopsLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Snow Goose

Snow Goose

Anser caerulescensLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater Flamingo

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-breasted Goose

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollisVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellusLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Dec–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Stone-curlew

Eurasian Stone-curlew

Burhinus oedicnemusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitorLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegenaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Arctic Jaeger

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Arctic Loon

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jan–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Woodpigeon

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybitaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Jan–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Turtle-dove

European Turtle-dove

Streptopelia turturVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Reeves's Pheasant

Reeves's Pheasant

Syrmaticus reevesiiVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Gull

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bonelli's Eagle

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciataLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Meadow Pipit

Meadow Pipit

Anthus pratensisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Rissa tridactylaVU

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Quail

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnixLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Corn Bunting

Corn Bunting

Emberiza calandraLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naeviaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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