Birding in Chongqing Municipality
Chongqing city belongs to a subtropical humid monsoon climate zone with hot summer and warm winter, light and heat in the same season, a long frost-free period, and plenty rain, so the city is known as one of the four stove cities in China. Chongqing city is located in southwest of China's interior and the upper reach of Yangtze River which is at the eastern edge of the Sichuan Basin and on the transition zone from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the Yangtze River.
Chongqing has another name "Mountain City". The main rivers within the territory are Yangtze River, Jialing River, Wujiang, Fujiang River, Daning River, and Qijiang River. Qijiang is also one of the good places you can see Scaly-sided Merganser. Chongqing is rich in plant resources, reserving the "living fossil plant"—Cyathea, Metasequoia, silver fir, dove tree, and so on.
Chongqing city covers 82,400 square kilometers which mostly are mountainous regions. There are a relatively small amount of the total bird species and a lack of diversity in this area. According to various documents, more than 300 species of birds living in Chongqing city, which mainly consist of thrushes, laughingthrushes, warblers and flycatchers.
Some Important Birding Sites in Chongqing
Changshou Lake
Changshou Lake is a man-made reservoir wetland and the largest freshwater lake in Chongqing, a water area of which reaches 63 square kilometers.with more than a thousand isles. Every winter, those deserted islands become paradises for many wintering birds. Such as Grey Heron, Falcated Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Speckled Piculet, Long-tailed Shrike, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Yellow-bellied Tit, Rufous-faced Warbler, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, etc.
Three Gorge Reservoir (Chongqing)
It is west to Banan district of Chongqing city, east to Wushan Mountain, with the Maximum altitude of 2,976 meters and the minimum altitude of 73.1 meters, so the vertical distribution of birds is obvious. The vegetation in the reservoir area is subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. According to the research, there are 226 species of bird in reservoir area belonging to 48 families, 15 orders. According to the differences of plant communities, it divides into five ecological communities as follows: First, natural forest with a total of 73 species of birds. Second, planted forest with a total of 104 species of birds. Third, shrubs with a total of 129 species of birds. Fourth, waters with a total of 66 species of birds. Fifth, farmland with a total of 123 species of birds. Such as Mandarin Duck, Little Grebe, Northern Goshawk, Speckled Piculet, Collared Finchbill, Mountain Bulbul, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chinese Babax, Hwamei, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Spectacled Fulvetta, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Vinaceous Rosefinch, etc.
Wulipo Nature Reserve
It is located in the northeast of Wushan County, the typical transitional climatic zone from the middle subtropical zone to the northern subtropical zone, forming a cool and humid climate. For the barrier action of Qinling and Daba mountain in the north, coupled with the difference of altitude, it forms a complex environment with natural vegetation which mainly are evergreen broad-leaved forest, mixed evergreen, and deciduous broad-leaved forest, subalpine coniferous forest, etc. By the end of 2006, there were 296 species of birds recorded in this region which belong to 51 families, 17 orders. Such as Northern Goshawk, Speckled Piculet, Collared Finchbill, Mountain Bulbul, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chinese Babax, Hwamei, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Spectacled Fulvetta, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Vinaceous Rosefinch, etc.
Jinfoshan
Jinfoshan is the highest peak of the Dalou Mountains, located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River, is situated in Nanchuan District, the Municipality of Chongqing. Jinfoshan is an isolated mountain with cliffs up to 300 m surrounding its relatively flat top. Its major vegetation types include subtropical broadleaf forest, coniferous forests and subalpine meadow. Besides typical karst topography of gorges, stone forests and cave systems, Jinfoshan is well known for its exceptional plant diversity of 4768 seed plants. It is also a refuge of endangered animals confined to karst regions such as Francois Langur. With its outstanding karst features and superb biodiversity, Jinfo Shan has been listed as a tentative World Heritage site since 2001. There were 178 species of birds recorded in Jinfoshan. Such as Golden Pheasant, Temminck's Tragopan, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Chinese Babax, White-browed Laughingthrush, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Spotted Laughingthrush, Red-billed Leiothrix, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Red-tailed Minla, Collared Finchbill, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, White-collared Yuhina, Black-headed Sibia, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Plumbeous Water Redstart, White-capped Water Redstart, Brown Dipper, Grey-capped Greenfinch, and so on.
Zhaomushan Botanical Park
Zhaomushan Botanical Park is located in the north of Chongqing, and it is the third largest botanical garden in the main city and the closest botanical garden to the main city. There were 148 species of birds recorded in Zhaomushan. Such as Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Black Bulbul, Crested Goshawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Eastern Buzzard, Eurasian Hobby, Asian Koel, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Himalayan Cuckoo, Great Barbet, Speckled Piculet, Speckled Piculet, Swinhoe's Minivet, Tiger Shrike, Black-naped Oriole, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Mountain Bulbul, Light-vented Bulbul, Rufous-faced Warbler, Black-throated Bushtit, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Blue-winged Minla, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Fork-tailed Sunbird, Taiga Flycatcher, Black-faced Bunting, etc.
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