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 70–92 of 266 species

Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Tundra Swan

Cygnus columbianusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosettaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Swan Goose

Anser cygnoidesEN

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Hen Harrier

Circus cyaneusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

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

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Purple Heron

Ardea purpureaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Little Tern

Little Tern

Sternula albifronsLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Northern Goshawk

Astur gentilisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Taiga Bean Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Anser fabalisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Horned Lark

Eremophila alpestrisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Feb

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

Eurasian Jay

Garrulus glandariusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Wren

Troglodytes troglodytesLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Crane

Grus grusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostrisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Greylag Goose

Anser anserLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Coal Tit

Periparus aterLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminataVU

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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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