Birding Beijing

Beijing, the capital city of China, have been recorded over 500 species of bird in the Municipality, making Beijing one of the best birding capital cities in the world. 

With world-class wetlands such as Miyun Reservoir and Wild Duck Lake (Yeyahu), wooded mountains, grassland and a surfeit of parks, Beijing provides excellent birding all year round.  However, it is spring and autumn when the capital experiences the spectacle of migration on a staggering scale and it is at these times that exciting birds can be found even in the tiniest of green spaces in the city centre.

Beijing Botanical Garden

The Beijing Botanical Gardens is a good all-year round birding destination, where you can find some of Beijing’s special birds, including Chinese Nuthatch, Yellow-bellied Tit, Beijing Babbler and Plain Laughingthrush. In  winter, it is a good site for waxwings, Siberian Accentor, winter thrushes and buntings.

 

Lingshan Scenic Area

Lingshan is Beijing’s highest peak at 2,303 metres above sea level. A great site for breeding warblers, flycatchers and thrushes and Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch. In winter a site for Guldenstadt's Redstart, Pallas's Rosefinch, Cinereous Vulture, Asian Rosy Finch.

Shidu

Many Black Storks are living along the river here, because not quite a few tourists and the water is not unfrozen. Other highlights are including Wallcreeper, Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Cinereous Vulture, White-capped Water Redstart, Golden Eagle, Crag Martin, Plumbeous Redstart, Long-billed Plover, Alpine and Siberian Accentor and other small birds.

 Summer Palace

Can be good for wildfowl in spring/autumn. Also warblers/thrushes on migration and waxwings in winter.

Olympic Forest Park

An excellent urban birding site. The wetland area in the southwest of the park can be good all year around. The wooded parts of the park host a variety of migrants thrushes, flycatchers, buntings,  and several species of warbler during the migration seasons.

Yeyahu Nature Reserve & Machang

Yeyahu NR is a wetland park, which have mant trails, ponds and observation towers inside.Ma Chang is a large area of grassland, which is next to Yeyahu NR. Both here can host a good numbers of birds, including Baer's Pochard, Common and hooded Cranes, Oriental Plover, Relict Gull, Great Bustard, Amur Falcon, Chinese Penduline Tit, Von Schrenck's Bittern, Eastern Marsh-Harrier, Baikal Teal, Great Spotted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle and Saker Falcon.

 

Baihe Valley

 

The only reliable site for Ibisbill in Beijing, but it's not easy in the recent years. Other highlights including Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Baikal Teal, Beijing Babbler, Golden Eagle, Siberian Accentor etc.

Wenyu River
The area around the paddies are excellent in late Spring (May and early June) for acrocephalus and locustella warblers plus small bitterns (Yellow and Schrenck's) and assorted migrants.

The scrubby areas alongside the river are good for species such as Japanese Quail, buntings, finches etc. A large Daurian Jackdaw roost nearby in winter and waders/ducks on the river. Long-billed Plover regular in winter/spring/autumn.

In winter, assorted ducks and the occasional swan along here if unfrozen. Also buntings, woodpeckers and kingfishers along here.

Huairou Reservoir

Can be good for diving duck and other wildfowl on spring and autumn. Freezes in winter.

Shahe Reservoir
Good for wildfowl in spring and autumn. Reedy fringes to west good for warblers, rails, crakes etc. River to east also good.