Anhui Province
Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei and Henan to the west, and Shandong to the north. With a population of 61 million, Anhui is the 9th most populous province in China. It is the 22nd largest Chinese province based on its 140,200 km2 (54,100 square miles) area, and the 12th most densely-populated region of all 34 Chinese provincial regions. Anhui’s population is mostly composed of Han Chinese. Languages spoken within the province include Lower Yangtze Mandarin, Wu, Hui, Gan and small portion of Central Plains Mandarin.
Anhui is topographically diverse. The north is part of the North China Plain while the north-central areas are part of the Huai River watershed. Both regions are flat, and densely populated. The land becomes more uneven further south, with the Dabie Mountains occupying much of southwestern Anhui and a series of hills and ranges cutting through southeastern Anhui, between which is the Yangtze River. The highest peak in Anhui is Lotus Peak, part of Huangshan in southeastern Anhui. It has an altitude of over 6,000 feet. Major rivers include the Huai River in the north and the Yangtze in the south. The largest lake is Lake Chaohu situated in the centre of the province, with an area of about 800 km2 (310 square miles). The southeastern part of the province near the Yangtze River has many lakes as well.
Qingyi River – Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
As with topography, the province differs in climate from north to south. The north is more temperate with more distinct seasons. January temperatures average at around −1 to 2 °C north of the Huai River, and 0 to 3 °C south of the Huai River; in July temperatures average 27 °C or above. ‘Plum rains’ (a persistent stationary front) occur in June and July and may cause flooding.
Huangshan Mountains – ©Chi King CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Birding Anhui
Anhui, located in the lower reaches of Yangtze River and middle reaches of Huai River, is an important habitat for birds. The numerous lakes and wetlands generated by the two rivers have become home for winter migrants and summer breeders. The diversified topography of the province has made it a home for large number of different bird species.
Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler Horornis fortipes – ©Bird-Photo-Tours Asia
The state has three main areas; Huaibei Plain, Jianghuai Hilly Area and the South Mountainous Area. It is estimated that there are at least 166, and maybe as many as 242 bird species in the forest areas in eastern part of the province. At least 76 and up to 166 bird species in the plains along the river, and, in the hilly areas and mountainous areas in the southern part rather less but at least 63 and maybe as many as 76 bird species in the northern plain and south province.
There are some excellent habitats such as in Shengjinhu Nature Reserve, an area of 33,400 hectares, in Southwestern Anhui, on the Southern Bank of Yangtze River. The vast lake provides abundant food resources to attract birds to breed here and large number of migrant birds to stay or stop to rest. So, this lake is also locally known as ’Lake of Cranes’. Of the 170 bird species recorded here, 84 are water birds and 80 are winter migrants including Swan Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Bewick’s Swan, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Brown Crake, Pied Avocet, Long-billed Plover, Spotted Redshank, Common Greenshank, Pied Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Tit, Collared Finchbill, Black-collared Starling, Yellow-billed Grosbeak, Meadow Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, Black-faced Bunting and Rustic Bunting, etc.
Another great birding destination is the Anqing Wetlands, which lie in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The wetlands occupy an area of 133,000 hectares. It is an important habitat for migrants in middle and large numbers of rare and endangered water birds come here to spend the winter each year – around 250,000 birds. About 150 bird species have been recorded there including several geese species, Bewick’s Swan, Brown Crake, waders like Long-billed Plover, Pied Kingfisher, four different buntings, and a variety of passerines etc.
Chinese Bamboo Partridge Bambusicola thoracicus – ©Bird-Photo-Tours Asia
In south Anhui, the wild area around Huangshan, the highest Mountain in East China, has abundant bird species. More than 200 bird species including Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Indian Cuckoo, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Oriental Scops Owl, Speckled Piculet, Yellow-bellied Tit, Mountain Bulbul, Chestnut Bulbul, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Indochinese Yuhina, Masked Laughingthrush, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush and Yellow-billed Grosbeak, etc.
This page is sponsored by Bird-Photo-Tours Asia
This page is sponsored by Alpine Birding
-
Anqing Wetlands
InformationSatellite ViewEstablished in 1995, Anqing Wetlands lie in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The wetlands occupy an area of 133,000 hectares. As important habitat for migrants in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River; a large number of rare and endangered water birds come here to spend the winter each year. According to the investigation of 2004, the birds in Anqing Wetlands number over 250,000. About 152 bird species have been recorded on this reserve, of which 86 are water birds. -
Mt. Huangshan
InformationSatellite ViewLocated in the South Anhui at 27,066 ft., Huangshan is the highest Mountain in East China as well as a very important tourist attraction. It was included in the UNESCO 'world nature and culture heritage sites' in 1990. Huangshan has abundant birds. According to statistics, there are 210 bird species in Huangshan including a number of endangered ones such as Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga, Elliot -
Shengjinhu Nature Reserve
InformationSatellite ViewEstablished in 1986 with an area of 33,400 hectares, Shengjinhu Nature Reserve is situated in Southwestern Anhui, on the Southern Bank of the Yangtze River. The vast lake surface provides an abundant food resource to attract birds to breed there and a large number of migrant birds to drop in to feed. So this lake is also known as 'Lake of Cranes' in China. Of the 170 bird species recorded here, 84 are water birds and 80 are overwintering migrants.
-
Philip He
Sichuan Province
http://www.alpinebirding.com
-
Number of bird species: 481
(As at May 2025)
Number of endemics: 1
Chinese Barbet Psilopogon faberThere are also three 'breeding endemics', that is birds that breed nowhere else, but disperse more widely after breeding. They are:
Alström's Leaf Warbler Seicercus soror
Sulphur-breasted Leaf Warbler Seicercus ricketti
Chinese Thrush Otocichla mupinensis
-
Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Anhui , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them. -
E-Bird
PDF ChecklistThis checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
-
A Guide to the Birds of Anhui
| By Wu Hailoing & Gu Changming | Anhui Science and Technology Press | 2017 | Hardback | 447 pages, colour photos | Chinese Language only | ISBN: 9787567623651 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of China
| By Liu Yang & Chen Shuihua | Princeton University Press | 2023 | Flexibound | 672 pages, plates with 4000 colour illustrations, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691237527 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Guide to the Birds of China
| By John MacKinnon | OUP | 2022 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 513 pages, 164 plates with colour illustrations; colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780192893673 Buy this book from NHBS.com
-
Anhui Bird Watching Society
InformationAnhui Bird Watching Society was established by professionals in ornithology, ecology and environmentalology, high school students and environmentalists on 3rd April 2008. It is now a branch of the Anhui Zoological Society and Anhui Wildlife Conservation Association.
-
NNR Anhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve
InformationSatellite ViewAnhui Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve is located on the south bank of the middle and lower reaches of the River Yangtse. -
NR Chengxi Hu
InformationSatellite ViewShengjinhu (Chengxi ) is good for White and Hooded Cranes as well as passerines - A provincial nature reserve was established at Shengjin Lake in 1986, which was upgraded to a national nature reserve in 1997. Despite its protected status, there have been large-scale land-use changes within the reserve, and human activities have major impacts on the wintering waterbirds… -
NR Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve
WebsiteSatellite ViewChinese Alligator Nature Reserve covers an area of 44,300 hectares. Its main protection targets are Chinese alligator, special Chinese reptile and its habitat… -
NR Guniujiang
InformationSatellite ViewLocated in the boundaries of Qimen and Shitai counties in Anhui Province, and west of Huangshan Mountains, Guniujiang Nature Reserve covers an area of 14,821 hectares… -
NR Shengjinhu
InformationSatellite ViewThe national Nature Reserve of Shengjin Lake on the southern bank of the Yangtze River in the Anhui Province of China is designated as a Ramsar Site and is on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Site Network due to its international importance for waterbirds...
-
eBird
SightingseBirding This Month
-
-
Alpine Birding
Tour OperatorAs a local based company, AlpineBirding provides a variety of services to facilitate your travel and create good birding memories for you with our expertise, passion and knowledge. We provide different services to people with different needs. Our services range from avid birding for serous birders to half cultural exploration and half birding for amateur birders, to top photographers. Following are the kind of services we are providing now. -
Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
Tour OperatorBird-Photo-Tours Asia also offers custom-designed bird photography tours for individuals or groups in addition to its portfolio of scheduled Bird-Photo-Tours.