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 116–138 of 266 species

Little Owl

Little Owl

Athene noctuaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Wryneck

Jynx torquillaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Nov

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

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Oriental Scops-owl

Otus suniaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blue Rock-thrush

Blue Rock-thrush

Monticola solitariusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard

Netta rufinaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Golden Eagle

Aquila chrysaetosLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bar-headed Goose

Bar-headed Goose

Anser indicusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-tailed Robin

White-tailed Robin

Myiomela leucuraLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Japanese Waxwing

Bombycilla japonicaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-tailed Sea-eagle

White-tailed Sea-eagle

Haliaeetus albicillaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Greater Scaup

Aythya marilaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Black Eagle

Ictinaetus malaiensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegusNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenantheLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Aug

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

Great Tit

Parus majorLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

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

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

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

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecicaLC

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

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

Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostraLC

ResidentUncommon

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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