Birding info of Jilin, China
Located in the Songliao Plain northeast of China, Jilin Province covers 187,400 square kilometers of land territory. Songhua River is the largest river of this province with a length of 400 kilometers in Jilin that rises in Changbai Mountain. Jilin has a temperate continental climate with a cold winter and comfortable summer.
The landforms of Jilin Province is complex, the east of the province is the Changbai Mountains, the west is the Songliao Plain and the central part is the Jilin Hills. Jilin boasts forest with 42.1% of its territory is covered by. The Changbai Mountians are important breeding habitats for bird species in China and the plain serves as a stopover for a large number of migratory birds. The province has recorded 350 bird species belonging to 55 families under 19 orders of which 65 species are under national key protection. The Red-crowned Cranes has been chosen as the Provincal Birds.
Jilin Province has a population of 27.46 million people. The capital of Jilin is Changchun.
Some Important Birding Sites in Jilin
Changbaishan Nature Reserve
Located in Antu, Fusong, and Changbai County southeast of Jilin, Changbaishan Nature Reserve covers an area of 196,465 hectares. The reserve was established in 1960 and granted to national reserve status in 1986. The reserve was also included in the list of biosphere reserves by Man and the Biosphere Program of UNESCO in 1980. It is one of the richest biodiversity regions in north China. 277 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, including 52 species of residents, 148 species of summer migrants, 12 species of winter birds and 65 species of passing ones. Such as Scaly-sided Merganser, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Spotted Nutcracker, Marsh Tit, Pallas's Warbler, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Naumann's Thrush, etc.
Momoge Nature Reserve
Established in 1981 and upgraded to national reserve in 1997, Momoge nature reserve is located in the converging area of Nen River and Zhaoer River in Zhenlai County northwest of Jilin and covers an area of 144,000 hectares. With 80% of the reserve's area covered by wetlands, it is the largest wetland in Jilin Province. The number of breeding Siberian Cranes account for about 20% of the total number of the world. There is also 500~800 Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana) inhabit here during the migrating season. The total species of birds that have been recorded in the reserve have reached 296. Such as Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Northern Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper, Amur Falcon, Daurian Jackdaw, Rook, etc.
Xianghai Nature Reserve
Located in Tongyu County, Xianghai Nature Reserve covers an area of 105,467 hectares. The reserve was established in 1981 and upgraded to national reserve in 1986. It was also included in the List of Ramsar Wetlands of International Important in 1992. The reserve aims to maintain the wetland and aquatic ecosystems. The reserve has abundant botanical and animal resources with about 595 plant species and 373 species of vertebrates. There are 293 bird species have been recorded in the reserve. It serves as a breeding habitat for a large number of rare birds. Such as Baer's Pochard, Demoiselle Crane, Siberian Crane, White-naped Crane, Red-crowned Crane, Common Crane, Eurasian Spoonbill, Swan Goose, Mandarin Duck, Common Pochard, Daurian Partridge, Black-necked Grebe, Watercock, Black-winged Stilt, Pacific Golden Plover, Northern Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Kentish Plover, Eurasian Curlew, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher, Oriental Pratincole, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Chinese Grey Shrike, Chinese Penduline Tit, Black-browed Reed Warbler, Manchurian Reed Warbler, Meadow Bunting, Ochre-rumped Bunting, etc.
Jinxin Wetland
Flocks of rare migratory birds, including Steller's Sea Eagle and White-tailed Sea Eagle, have recently been seen at the Jinxin Wetland in Hunchun city, in Northeast China's Jilin province. Covering an area of more than 5,800 hectares, Jingxin Wetland is one of the key wetlands in Jilin province. Each spring, a large number of rare birds fly to the wetland where they rest and forage for food, including Red-crowned Crane, Greater White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Tundra Bean Goose, Baikal Teal, Falcated Duck, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Hazel Grouse, Northern Lapwing, Glaucous Gull, Black Vulture, Steppe Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Rough-legged Buzzard, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Chinese Grey Shrike, Varied Tit, Brown-eared Bulbul, Bohemian Waxwing, Japanese Waxwing, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Pallas's Rosefinch, etc.
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