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 231–253 of 266 species

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotosLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Chestnut Munia

Lonchura atricapillaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–May

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

Spotted Crake

Porzana porzanaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Marsh-harrier

Western Marsh-harrier

Circus aeruginosusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Sep

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

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacusVU

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameriLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus mutaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

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

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

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Black Lark

Black Lark

Melanocorypha yeltoniensisLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Sep

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

European Robin

Erithacus rubeculaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sulphur-bellied Warbler

Sulphur-bellied Warbler

Phylloscopus griseolusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

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

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinellaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Dec

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

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb–Mar

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

Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Dec–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Reed-warbler

Common Reed-warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

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

Dotterel

Eudromias morinellusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Orange-breasted Green-pigeon

Orange-breasted Green-pigeon

Treron bicinctusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black Grouse

Black Grouse

Lyrurus tetrixLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Jan

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

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschataLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Green-legged Partridge

Green-legged Partridge

Tropicoperdix chloropusLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Dec

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

Corncrake

Crex crexLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep–Mar

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

Barnacle Goose

Branta leucopsisLC

ScarceRare
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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