Birding info of Hainan, China
Located in the far south of China, Hainan province covers 35,400 square kilometers of land territory and 2,000,000 square kilometers of ocean territory which makes it the province own the smallest land area and largest ocean area in China. Including Hainan Island, Xisha (Paracel) Islands, Zhongsha Islands and Nansha (Spratly) Islands and the ocean surround them. The elevation of Hainan Island slopes down from center to edge. Mountians, hills, terraces and plains form the landscapes of Hainan Island. Hainan has a tropic monsoon climate. Its average temperature is 22℃ to 26℃.
Hainan is one of the primary places of a tropical rain forest and monsoon forest where 4,000 plant species inhabit of which 630 are endemic to Hainan. Hainan is located on the east Asian-Australia flyway, plenty wetlands provide extensive habitats for water birds. It has been recorded 420 bird species, of which Hainan Partridge (Arborophila ardens), Hainan Leaf Warbler (Phyllossopus hainanus) are endemic to Hainan. Moreover, due to geographic isolation, the appearance of many bird subspecies is significantly different from the continetal subspecies.
The population of Hainan is 8,670,000 and its capital is the City of Haikou.
Some Important Birding Sites in Hainan
Jianfengling National Forest Park
Jianfengling National Forest Park
Located in the southwest of Hainan Island in Ledong County, Jianfengling National Forest Park is 90 kilometers away from Sanya City. The park covers 1,600 hectares and was established in 1992 to preserve the rainforest and the rare animals living there. It is the largest, most preserved, tropical rainforest in China that is home to 215 species of birds, 4,300 species of animals and 450 species of butterflies of every shape, colour and size, that gives special charm to these places. There are a total of 18 mountains with an altitude of over 1,000 meters in the forest area. Jianfeng Peak, with an altitude of 1,412 meters, is the highest peak in the park. The birding tour to Jianfengling is highlighted by the Mingfenggu Valley section, the most typical original tropical highland rainforest. Mingfenggu is known for its variety of birds, such as Hainan Partridge, Chinese Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Silver Pheasant, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Green-billed Malkoha, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Mountain Scops Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Brown Wood-Owl, Chinese Barbet, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, White-winged Magpie, Indochinese Green-Magpie, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Sultan Tit, Hainan Leaf Warbler, Hartert's Leaf Warbler, Large Scimitar-Babbler, Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler, Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, etc.
Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve
Established in 1980 and upgraded to national reserve in 1987, Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve is located in the northeast of Qiongshan and 32 kilometers away from Haikou. The reserve aims to protect the estuary and mudflat ecosystem that dominates by mangrove and the wintering habitats for migratory birds. There are 32 mangrove species has been recorded in the reserve belonging to 16 families, account for 90% of China total mangrove species. The reserve is a connecting area of different biotae. 159 bird species have been recorded in the reserve and most of them are waders and swimming birds, such as Eurasian Spoonbill, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Black-winged Stilt, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Red-necked Stint, Red-necked Phalarope, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret, Chinese Pond Heron, White-throated Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Red-whiskered Bulbul, White-shouldered Starling, Olive-backed Sunbird, etc.
Bawangling Reserve
Located in the southeast of Hainan and covering 6,000 hectares Bawangling is one of the 6 important forestry districts. The reserve aims to protect the typical tropical mountane rain forest and the Crested Gibbon (Hylobates concolor) which only exist about 20 all over the world. It is also a paradise for birding where 130 bird species have been recorded, including the endemic species to the island - Hainan Leaf Warbler, Hainan Peacock Pheasant and Hainan Partridge. Other birds like Chinese Francolin, Red Junglefowl, Silver Pheasant, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Shikra, Thick-billed Green Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Lesser Coucal, Green-billed Malkoha, Mountain Scops Owl, Collared Scops Owl, Brown Wood Owl, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Chinese Barbet, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Blue-rumped Pitta, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Indochinese Green Magpie, Puff-throated Bulbul, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Dusky Fulvetta, Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, Grey Laughingthrush, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Orange-headed Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Olive-backed Sunbird, etc.
Yinggeling Nature Reserve
Established in 2004, Yinggeling Nature Reserve is located in the south Limuling Ridge south-central Hainan Island. Covering 50,464 hectares of which 30,000 hectares are forest, the reserve is one of the richest biodiversity regions in China. According to the investigation, there are 146 bird species belonging to 38 families of 14 orders in the reserve, including the rare endemic species to the island- Hainan partridges. Other birds like Crested Goshawk, Black-winged Kite, Black Kite, Besra, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Grey-chinned Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Black-naped Monarch, Mountain Bulbul, Chestnut Bulbul, White-shouldered Starling, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Orange-bellied Leafbird, etc.
Haiwei Wetland Park
Haiwei Wetland Park is located in the west coast of Hainan, its geomorphology is flat and thick and coastal beach geomorphology, which is a rare well protected wetland in Hainan and provides a habitat for many wetland birds. We will try to find Lesser Whistling-Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen, Purple Heron, Chinese Pond Heron, Greater Coucal, Black-winged Kite, Western Osprey, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Dusky Warbler, etc. here.
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