This page is updated regularly with any significant wildlife news from Beijing Municipality. It is produced from multiple sources, including sightings reported on eBird, birdreport.cn, via WeChat groups, emails etc. A particular thanks to Lou Fangzhou, Liu Aitao, Guan Xiangyu, Huang Minjun, Huang Hanchen, Li Zhaonan, Liu Aitao, Wang Ruiqing, Wu Zhehao, Niu Hundun and Colm Moore for providing information about sightings and a huge thanks to all the other birders who submit records. Please note that records of birds sensitive to disturbance, for example wintering or breeding owls, great bustards etc. will not be reported or will be reported with only vague location information.
If you would like to report any sightings, please use the contact form below and include species, location, date/time and observer details. Photographs for publication are also welcome and can be submitted to Terry via WeChat, email or other means. Many thanks.
The latest Beijing sightings on eBird can be found here. The latest sightings on birdreport.cn can be found here (search for Beijing 北京). Historical wildlife news can be found here. A basic summary of the Status of the Birds of Beijing can be found here.
If you are interested in organised bird walks, a local group in Beijing called the Friends of Nature arranges walks in nine of Beijing’s parks. Information can be found via their WeChat account – search for “fonbird”.
If you find a sick or injured bird or animal that requires specialist care, please call the Wildlife Rescue Centre on +86 (10) 89496118 or, for birds of prey, the Raptor Rescue Centre on +86 (10) 62205666.
If you find illegal mist-nets or witness any illegal activity involving wild birds or animals in Beijing, please take photographs and note the location, then call the State Forestry Police. For the numbers, see below, arranged by district.
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19 March 2023
1 ORIENTAL STORK Ciconia boyciana 东方白鹳 Dōng fāng bái guàn, Shahe Reservoir (many observers)
1 SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE Circaetus gallicus 短趾雕 Duǎn zhǐ diāo, DaNing Reservoir (Fei Sha)
20 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser albifrons 白额雁 Bái é yàn, Bulaotun (Zhen Niu)
1 (female) NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe 穗䳭 Suì jí reported from Shahe Reservoir (Stefan Andrew)
18 March 2023
GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila 斑背潜鸭 Bān bèi qián yā and a LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser erythropus 小白额雁 Xiǎo bái é yàn at Ma Chang (严向荣 et al.)
1 MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é, Shahe Reservoir (Hui Wang et al.)
The SOLITARY SNIPE Gallinago solitaria 孤沙锥 Gū shā zhuī still at Zhujiawan, Qingshui River, Miyun (Ceoffrey Lions et al.)
17 March 2023
2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator 红胸秋沙鸭 Hóng xiōng qiū shā yā, Shahe Reservoir (Jiahua Xing)
16 March 2023
1 (2cy) LESSER BLACK-BACKED (SIBERIAN) GULL Larus fuscus taimyrensis 乌灰银鸥 Wū huī yín ōu, LuomaHu, Shunyi District (Terry Townshend)
14 March 2023
The LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser erythropus 小白额雁 Xiǎo bái é yàn still at the ChaoBaiHe, Shunyi District.
12 March 2023
1 LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser erythropus 小白额雁 Xiǎo bái é yàn, ChaoBaiHe, Shunyi District (Zoey Squirrelmunk et al.)
A SOLITARY SNIPE Gallinago solitaria 孤沙锥 Gū shā zhuī at Zhujiawan, Qingshui River, Miyun (Jiahua Xing)
3 RED-CROWNED CRANE Grus japonensis 丹顶鹤 Dān dǐng hè, Yeyahu (via Beijing News)
11 March 2023
1 BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā and one BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā x FERRUGINOUS POCHARD Aythya nyroca 白眼潜鸭 Bái yǎn qián yā, Yuanmingyuan (飞 夏)
One (exceptionally early) CITRINE WAGTAIL Motacilla citreola 黄头鹡鸰 Huáng tóu jí líng, Shahe Reservoir (Ning Sun)
9 March 2023
1 PALLAS’S GULL Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus 渔鸥 Yú ōu and 1 LESSER BLACK-BACKED (SIBERIAN) GULL Larus fuscus taimyrensis 乌灰银鸥 Wū huī yín ōu, Shahe Reservoir (Jun Shuai)
2 BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā, Yuanmingyuan (Hui Wang)
1 WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba 白鹡鸰 Bái jí líng of the subspecies personata, Shahe Reservoir (via TQM)
8 March 2023
1 MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é, DaShi River (TaQini Liu)
7 March 2023
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (Xiaorui Mao)
5 March 2023
1 NORTHERN LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus 北长尾山雀 Běi cháng wěi shān què, Lingshan (Terry Townshend)
1 EURASIAN SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia 白琵鹭 Bái pí lù, Huairou Reservoir (wang ye et al.)
1 EURASIAN SPOONBILL Platalea leucorodia 白琵鹭 Bái pí lù, Shahe Reservoir (Hui Wang)
1 HORNED LARK Eremophila alpestris 角百灵 Jiǎo bǎilíng, Miaofengshan (Xiaorui Mao)
4 March 2023
1 BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā, DaNing Reservoir (Oriental Stork)
1 WHITE-BACKED WOODPECKER Dendrocopos leucotos 白背啄木鸟 Bái bèi zhuómùniǎo, Yaoqiaoyu Reservoir, Miyun District (Terry Townshend)
1 EURASIAN CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs 苍头燕雀 Cāng tóu yànquè, Lingshan (zhenning liu)
3 March 2023
2 PALLAS’S GULL Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus 渔鸥 Yú ōu (one adult type, the other 2nd cal type) and 5 LESSER BLACK-BACKED (SIBERIAN) GULL Larus fuscus taimyrensis 乌灰银鸥 Wū huī yín ōu, Shahe Reservoir (Colm Moore)
3 WHITE-NAPED CRANE Grus vipio 白枕鹤 Bái zhěn hè, ChaoBai River Bridge (Jockie Wong)
2 March 2023
2 BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā still at Yuanmingyuan (Jun Shuai)
28 February 2023
2 BAER’S POCHARDAythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā, Yuanmingyuan (Jiahua Xing et al.)
1 (2cy) LESSER BLACK-BACKED (SIBERIAN) GULL Larus fuscus taimyrensis 乌灰银鸥 Wū huī yín ōu, Shahe Reservoir (Liu Shuangqi et al.)
26 February 2023
The EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis (of suspect origin) still at Green Bank Park (Su Li et al.)
25 February 2023
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (刘双祺 Liú Shuāngqí et al.)
One EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis (of suspect origin) at Green Bank Park (via WeChat).
1 PALLAS’S SANDGROUSE Syrrhaptes paradoxus 毛腿沙鸡 Máo tuǐ shā jī, Green Bank Park (Daniel Gustafsson)
The 2cy LAMMERGEIER (BEARDED VULTURE) Gypaetus barbatus 胡兀鹫 Hú wù jiù still at Yanhecun, Mentougou District (Zhen Niu et al.)
Four 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Lanhui Peng, Jiahua Xing)
22 February 2023
1 NORTHERN LONG-TAILED TIT Aegithalos caudatus 北长尾山雀 Běi cháng wěi shān què reported from the Western Hills, Haidian District (蓝色火焰)
19 February 2023
1 HORNED LARK Eremophila alpestris 角百灵 Jiǎo bǎilíng and 2 EURASIAN CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs 苍头燕雀 Cāng tóu yànquè, Heishanzhai village (wang ye)
The PIED KINGFISHER Ceryle rudis 斑鱼狗 Bān yú gǒu still at the Wenyu River (Jun Yang)
18 February 2023
Four 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Terry Townshend et al.). Plus 145 MANDARIN DUCK Aix galericulata 鸳鸯 Yuānyāng.
Four Mute Swan Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é at the Wenyu River on 18 February 2023. Possibly only the second time this species has wintered in capital (Terry Townshend).
13 February 2023
The BROWN-EARED BULBUL Microscelis amaurotis 栗耳短脚鹎 Lì ěr duǎn jiǎo bēi still at Tsinghua University (Lanhui Peng)
9 February 2023
2 RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus serrator 红胸秋沙鸭 Hóng xiōng qiū shā yā, Yuyuantan Park (佳妤 蒋)
8 February 2023
One (juvenile) LAMMERGEIER (BEARDED VULTURE) Gypaetus barbatus 胡兀鹫 Hú wù jiù, Yongdinghe (Fender先生)
The BROWN-EARED BULBUL Microscelis amaurotis 栗耳短脚鹎 Lì ěr duǎn jiǎo bēi still at Tsinghua University (Jun Shuai)
7 February 2023
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (Ao Wang et al.)
A BROWN-EARED BULBUL Microscelis amaurotis 栗耳短脚鹎 Lì ěr duǎn jiǎo bēi, Tsinghua University (Ao Wang)
6 February 2023
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (Bear Jia)
5 February 2023
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (Qiuhan Zhang)
4 February 2023
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (Fu Cong et al.)
Another FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng photographed at Lingshan (Ge Mengshuai et al)
A LESSER WHITETHROAT Sylvia curruca 白喉林莺 Báihóu lín yīng in the Agricultural Exhibition Center (David Consineo).
An unseasonal COMMON ROSEFINCH Carpodacus erythrinus 普通朱雀 Pǔtōng zhūquè in the Botanical Gardens (Qihan Wang)
3 February 2023
1 PALLAS’S GULL Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus 渔鸥 Yú ōu, ChaoBai River (Dai Shaohua)
1 February 2023
The wintering SOLITARY SNIPE Gallinago solitaria 孤沙锥 Gū shā zhuī still at Julicun (Donna Xu)
31 January 2023
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (tianyi zhang)
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (Wang Xiaobo et al.)
30 January 2023
A EURASIAN WOODCOCK Scolopax rusticola 丘鹬 Qiū yù in the Olympic Forest Park (via 安妮 on WeChat)
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng still at the Peking University Changping campus (宋健)
29 January 2023
The wintering FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng and at least one REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng again at the Peking University Changping campus (amal amer, JiaHY, Jun Shuai, lsmmm, pksunking, Zhang Xiaoling, Terry Townshend et al.)
The FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng close to the Peking University Changping campus (Terry Townshend)
The REDWING Turdus iliacus 白眉歌鸫 Báiméi gē dōng close to the Peking University Changping campus (Terry Townshend)
27 January 2023
The wintering SOLITARY SNIPE Gallinago solitaria 孤沙锥 Gū shā zhuī still at Julicun (Cinclus cinclus)
26 January 2023
The wintering FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng again at the Peking University Changping campus (bingling wang)
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (Cinclus cinclus)
The five x 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Wen-dong Xie). Plus the PIED KINGFISHER Ceryle rudis 斑鱼狗 Bān yú gǒu again at the same site.
10 EURASIAN CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs 苍头燕雀 Cāng tóu yànquè at Heishanzhai (Hui Wang)
25 January 2023
A MERLIN Falco columbarius 灰背隼 Huī bèi sǔn at Shidu, Fangshan (ziming yan). Plus the regular WALLCREEPER Tichodroma muraria 红翅旋壁雀 Hóng chì xuán bì què at bridge six.
24 January 2023
At least 200 ASIAN ROSY FINCH Leucosticte arctoa 粉红腹岭雀 Fěnhóng fù lǐng què still at Lingshan (amal amer et al.)
1 PALE THRUSH Turdus pallidus 白腹鸫 Bái fù dōng reported from Shidu bridge 7 (Stefan Andrew)
23 January 2023
A BAER’S POCHARD Aythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā at the Wenyu River (Cory Gao)
22 January 2023
The wintering FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng again at the Peking University Changping campus (peng su). Superb photos here.
21 January 2023
A BAER’S POCHARD Aythya baeri 青头潜鸭 Qīng tóu qián yā at the Dashi River (Stefan Andrew)
A PALE THRUSH Turdus pallidus 白腹鸫 Bái fù dōng reported from 红领巾公园 Red Scarf Park (Weiyang Tseng)
15 January 2023
An estimated 200 ASIAN ROSY FINCH Leucosticte arctoa 粉红腹岭雀 Fěnhóng fù lǐng què, Lingshan (Cinclus cinclus)
The (male) EURASIAN CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs 苍头燕雀 Cāng tóu yànquè, and the 5 x 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Terry Townshend). Plus 2 SAKER FALCON Falco cherrug 猎隼 Liè sǔn.
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at the Olympic Forest Park (Grady Singleton)
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (Fu Cong)
14 January 2023
The wintering SOLITARY SNIPE Gallinago solitaria 孤沙锥 Gū shā zhuī at Julicun (Qiuhan Zhang et al.)
10 January 2023
A WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at the Olympic Forest Park (Qiuhan Zhang), with two Brown-cheeked Rail Rallus indicus 普通秧鸡 Pǔ tōng yāng jī.
8 January 2023
The wintering FIELDFARE Turdus pilaris 田鸫 Tián dōng again at the Peking University Changping campus, Changping (Zike Yan)
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (Jiahua Xing and Lanhui Peng)
The NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor sibiricus 灰伯劳 Huī bóláo still at Miaofengshan (Cory Gao)
1 (male) EURASIAN CHAFFINCH Fringilla coelebs 苍头燕雀 Cāng tóu yànquè, Wenyu River (Terry Townshend). Plus the 5 x 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still on site.
1 small bat sp. at the Wenyu River – my first ever January sighting of a bat in Beijing (Terry Townshend). Frequency of echolocations at 43-44kHz.
7 January 2023
The PIED KINGFISHER Ceryle rudis 斑鱼狗 Bān yú gǒu still at the Wenyu River (Jia Yu)
The JAPANESE GROSBEAK Eophona personata 黑头蜡嘴雀 Hēitóu là zuǐ què still at DongShengBaJia Country Park, Haidian (Cinclus cinclus)
6 January 2023
At least one JAPANESE GROSBEAK Eophona personata 黑头蜡嘴雀 Hēitóu là zuǐ què at DongShengBaJia Country Park, Haidian (JiaHY via WeChat). Present since at least 4 January 2023.
5 January 2023
The 4 x 2cy MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Zike Yan)
4 January 2023
Two WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī reported from the Olympic Forest Park (yangkang chen)
3 January 2023
Three WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī reported from the Olympic Forest Park (yangkang chen)
2 January 2023
The WESTERN WATER RAIL Rallus aquaticus 西方秧鸡 Xī fāng yāng jī still at Yuanmingyuan (Jun Shuai)
1 LAMMERGEIER (BEARDED VULTURE) Gypaetus barbatus 胡兀鹫 Hú wù jiù, Fangshan District (戴先生)
The juvenile (2cy) LAMMERGEIER (BEARDED VULTURE) Gypaetus barbatus 胡兀鹫 Hú wù jiù in Fangshan District on 1 January 2023 (戴先生)
1 CHINESE POND HERON Ardeola bacchus 池鹭 Chí lù, Wenyu River (Wang Bingling)
1 January 2023
4 MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor 疣鼻天鹅 Yóu bí tiān’é still at the Wenyu River (Cincluc cinclus)
The long-staying 1 NORTHERN GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor sibiricus 灰伯劳 Huī bóláo still at Miaofengshan (Fu Cong).
1 EUROPEAN ROBIN Erithacus rubecula 欧亚鸲 Ōu yà qú, Wenyu River (Xin Yu). First seen on 23 December 2022.
For historical wildlife news from Beijing, click here.