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 93–115 of 266 species

Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Goldcrest

Regulus regulusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Siskin

Spinus spinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifronsLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadornaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

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

Twite

Linaria flavirostrisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Willow Tit

Willow Tit

Poecile montanusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpresLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckiiLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pacific Golden-Plover

Pacific Golden-Plover

Pluvialis fulvaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

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

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

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

Whooper Swan

Cygnus cygnusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestrisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Jan

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

Rook

Corvus frugilegusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellarisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Nuthatch

Sitta europaeaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Common Raven

Corvus coraxLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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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