Birding info of Hebei, China
Located in the lower reaches of Yellow River, Hebei covers an area of 187,693 square kilometers. Including Taihang Mountains in the west, Yanshan Mountains in the northeast, North China Plain in the south, and Bohai Sea to the east, Hebei has consisted of various landforms. Hebei has a temperate, semihumid-semiarid continental monsoon climate. The annual precipiation ranges from 400 to 800 millmeters, concentrated heavily in summer. Complex natural conditions contribute the rich biodiversity in Hebei province.
There are 3,000 plant species distribute in this province, of which 137 animal species are under national key protection.About 420 bird species have been recorded in Hebei of which 11 species are under First-Grade State Protection including Great Bustard (Otis tarda), Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) and other rare animals.
Hebei has a population of 71,850,000 people. The capital of this province is Shijiazhuang, a young city established in the early 20th century.
Some Important Birding Sites in Hebei
Shijiutuo Islands Nature Reserve
Established in 2002, Shijiutuo Islands Nature Reserve is located in Leting County Tangshan facing Bohai Bay. Covering 3,774 hectares of which 388 hectares are lands, it is the largest island of Hebei Province. The most famous island is Kuaile Dao, also named Happy Island. 89% of the land area is covered by plants. The broad mudflats and the coastal waters provide numerous food and make the island an ideal habitat for birds. Further more, the reserve is a converging spot to migrating birds from northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Siberia, North Korea, and Japan. The reserve has recorded 408 bird species 379 species are migratory birds, 72 species are under national key protection. Such as Brent Goose, Mandarin Duck, Baikal Teal, Falcated Duck, Baer's Pochard, Stejneger's Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Brown-cheeked Rail, White-breasted Waterhen, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Eurasian Woodcock, Grey-tailed Tattler, Nordmann's Greenshank, Oriental Pratincole, Relict Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Oriental Stork, Chinese Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Chinese Grey Shrike, Yellow-bellied Tit, Chinese Penduline Tit, Zitting Cisticola, Thick-billed Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler, Chinese Leaf Warbler, White's Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Naumann's Thrush, Rufous-tailed Robin, Bluethroat, Pallas's Reed Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, etc.
Beidaihe
Lying in the west of Qinhuangdao city and facing the Bohai Bay, Beidaihe is a famous resort in China. The suitable climate, 70% forest coverage, and long rugged coastline have contributed to rich biodiversity of Beidaihe. It is one of the best sites for observing migratory birds in far east. According to several investigates, Beidaihe has recorded 410 bird species of which 64 species are under national key protection. The best birding time in Beidaihe is March to May and September to November. Some birds like Swan Goose, Brent Goose, Mandarin Duck, Baikal Teal, Falcated Duck, Baer's Pochard, Stejneger's Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Brown-cheeked Rail, White-breasted Waterhen, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Eurasian Woodcock, Grey-tailed Tattler, Nordmann's Greenshank, Oriental Pratincole, Relict Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Oriental Stork, Chinese Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Chinese Grey Shrike, Yellow-bellied Tit, Chinese Penduline Tit, Zitting Cisticola, Thick-billed Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler, Chinese Leaf Warbler, White's Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Naumann's Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Rufous-tailed Robin, Siberian Blue Robin, Bluethroat, Pallas's Reed Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, Ochre-rumped Bunting, etc.
Nanpu Mudflat
Located in Luannan County of Hebei Province, Nanpu wetland consists of natural intertidal mudflats, aquaculture ponds, and salt pans. Its unique geographic location and wetland resources make it one of the most important stopover sites for migratory water birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Each year, as many as 350,000 water birds stage and refuel here, more than 280 bird species, including rare and endangered species such as Red Knot, Great Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, and Nordmann’s Greenshank. Other birds like Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Sanderling, Asian Dowitcher, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Saunders's Gull, Relict Gull, Black-tailed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Caspian Tern, Eurasian Spoonbill, Chinese Penduline Tit, Yellow-bellied Tit, Asian Short-toed Lark, Radde's Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Reed Parrotbill, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Bluethroat, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Blue Robin, Red-throated Pipit, Buff-bellied Pipit, Pallas's Reed Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, etc.
Saihanba Nature Reserve
Covering an area of 20,029 hectares, Saihanba Nature Reserve is located in Weichang Man and Meng autonomous county Chengde where is the connective area of Inner Mongolia Plateau and Jibei Mountainous Region. Established in 1993 and upgraded national nature reserve in 2007, the reserve aims to protect the ecosystem of the transitional area between forest and grassland and the rare wildlife. The reserve has abundant botanical resources with about 618 higher plant species. There are 227 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, including Black stork (Cionia nigra), White-naped Crane and other national key protection birds. Other birds like Koklass Pheasant, Daurian Jackdaw, Coal Tit, Silver-throated Bushtit, Dusky Warbler, Baikal Bush Warbler, Chinese Bush Warbler, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Pallas's Rosefinch, Common Redpoll, etc.
Hengshui Hu
Hengshui Hu National Nature Reserve is located in Hengshui city in the south of Hebei province. It is the only nature reserve that maintains a complete wetland ecosystem such as swamp, water area, tidal flat, meadow and forest, on the North China Plain. It covering an area of 283 square kilometers. Its biodiversity is very rich, with the inland freshwater wetland ecosystem and the national primary and secondary birds as the main protection objects. Such as Peregrine Falcon, Amur Falcon, Bewick's Swan, etc. Other birds like Baer's Pochard, Tundra Bean Goose, Baikal Teal, Falcated Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Grey-headed Lapwing, Wood Sandpiper, Whiskered Tern, Yellow Bittern, Schrenck's Bittern, Azure-winged Magpie, Zitting Cisticola, Oriental Reed Warbler, Reed Parrotbill, Little Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, etc.
Wulingshan
Located on the borders of Xinglong, Chengde and Luanping counties in Hebei Province and Miyun County in Beijing. Wuling Shan is the highest peak in the Yanshan Mountains, and it has a temperate monsoon mountain climate. It has forest cover of 93%, and is one of the richest plant resources in North China that has been described as a natural botanic garden and natural gene bank. It was named as a National Youth Scientific Education Base in 2002 and a National Forestry Popular Science Base in 2004. There are about 100 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, including Koklass Pheasant, Himalayan Owl, Grey-sided Thrush, Chinese Thrush, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoo, Himalayan Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Crested Honey-buzzard, Grey-faced Buzzard, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Pygmy Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Tit, Willow Tit, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Claudia's Leaf Warbler, Snowy-browed Nuthatch, Siberian Blue Robin, White-bellied Redstart, Green-backed Flycatcher, White-throated Rock-Thrush, Godlewski's Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, etc.
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