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

Get a monthly guide to birds in China

Find out which birds are visiting your area this month, with seasonal tips and garden advice

Get Your Free Digest

All 266 birds on the list

Showing 24–46 of 266 species

Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-flanked Bluetail

Red-flanked Bluetail

Tarsiger cyanurusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Marsh Tit

Poecile palustrisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Carrion Crow

Corvus coroneLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Spotted something?

Upload a photo to identify it

Identify
Ruddy Shelduck

Ruddy Shelduck

Tadorna ferrugineaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Hobby

Falco subbuteoLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly May–Oct

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

Little Ringed Plover

Thinornis dubiusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Merganser

Mergus merganserLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Jun–Apr

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

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Aug

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

Grey Wagtail

Motacilla cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

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

Gadwall

Mareca streperaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Plumbeous Water-redstart

Plumbeous Water-redstart

Phoenicurus fuliginosusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Kentish Plover

Charadrius alexandrinusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Oriental Honey-buzzard

Oriental Honey-buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-billed Chough

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocoraxLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelopeLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
PreviousPage 2 of 12Next

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

Download citations (7)