Birding in Yinchuan City
Lying in the middle of the Ningxia Plain, Yinchuan is the capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and former capital of the Western Xia Empire of the Tanguts. With a total population of about 2 million in total, Yinchuan is sheltered from the deserts of Mongolia by the high ranges of the Helan Mountain to its west, the Yellow River runs through Yinchuan from southwest to northeast.
Since ancient times, Yinchuan has become an important place for communications between different cultures including Muslim and Han Chinese Culture. Still there are lots of culture relics left from different ages in history in Yinchuan. Nowadays, as an important base for animal husbandry, Yichuan is also an agriculture base in China thanks to the irrigation from the Yellow River. Enjoying a desert climate, Yinchuan features cold and windy winters, dust-laden springs, hot summers and short autumns. Its annual precipitation is only about 200mm, with over 2,900 annual sunshine hours.
In terms of birding, Yinchuan has different eco-environments such as deserts, grasslands, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and forests. They provide different habitats for various birds including famous Helanshan Redstart.
Some Important Birding Sites in Yinchuan
Helanshan National Nature Reserve
Lying on Yinchuan and Shizuishan City, Helanshan Nature Reserve covers an area of 206,266 hectares. Established in 1982 and upgraded to national level in 1988, the reserve aims to protect the raid forest ecosystem and the rare wildlife. The elevation of the reserve is between 1,400 meters to 3,500 meters. There are 690 species of higher plants that form the reserve various vegetation types. According to the investigate in 2010, 144 bird species have been recorded in the reserve which belongs to 39 families under 17 orders. Among them, 110 species are Palearctic ones, 19 species are Oriental ones and 14 species are extensively distributed. Such as Chukar, Hill Pigeon, Bearded Vulture, Black Vulture, Golden Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Amur Falcon, Shore Lark, Silver-throated Tit, Beijing Babbler, Pere David's Laughingthrush, Black-throated Thrush, Red-throated Thrush, Ala Shan Redstart, White-winged Redstart, Daurian Redstart, Pied Wheatear, Brown Accentor, Hawfinch, White-winged Grosbeak, Godlewski's Bunting, etc.
Mingcui Lake
As part of Yinchuan National Wetland Park, Mingcui Lake is 9km from Downtown Yinchuan and 3km from Yellow River. Covering more than t 667 hectares, the reserve has different eco-environments including lakes, marshlands and grasslands for birds and is important birding place in Yinchuan. About 100 bird species have been recorded here. When you walk by the side of the lake, you have opportunities to see Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Black-tailed Godwit, Pallas's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Water Pipit, etc.
Sand Lake/ Sha Lake
Located in the southwest of Yinpinluo county 56 kilometers away from Yinchuan, Sand Lake covers an area of 82 square kilometers of which 22 square kilometers is water area. The famous bird island consists of full-grown weeds and tens of thousands of birds nesting here. It has recorded 130 bird species including 18 species of residents, 51 species of summer breeders and 61 species of travelling birds. Such as Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Pied Avocet, Eurasian Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Pallas's Gull, Whiskered Tern, Eurasian Spoonbill, Water Pipit, etc.
Zhongshan Park
Located inside downtown Yinchuan, Zhongshan Park covers 32 hectares and used to be the Royal Palace of West Xia Empire. Though compared with cities in southern China, the bird species are not so numerous. The number of certain bird species is still quite big and easy to see. The common birds here are Eurasian Collared Dove, Spotted Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Bohemian Waxwing, Light-vented Bulbul, White-cheeked Starling, Red-throated Thrush, Grey-capped Greenfinch, etc.
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