Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a 1,114 km2 (430 square mile) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the world. It is on China’s southern coast, 60 km (37 miles) east of Macau, on the east side of the mouth of the Pearl River estuary. It is surrounded by the South China Sea on all sides except the north, which neighbours the Guangdong city of Shenzhen along the Sham Chun River. The territory’s area consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories, Lantau Island, and over 200 other islands. The territory’s highest point is Tai Mo Shan, 3,140 feet above sea level. Urban development is concentrated on the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island, and in new towns throughout the New Territories. Much of this is built on reclaimed land; 70 km2 (27 square miles) (6% of the total land or about 25% of developed space in the territory) is reclaimed from the sea.
Undeveloped terrain is hilly to mountainous, with very little flat land, and consists mostly of grassland, woodland, shrubland, or farmland. About 40% of the remaining land area is country parks and nature reserves. The territory has a diverse ecosystem; over 3,000 species of vascular plants occur in the region (300 of which are native to Hong Kong), and thousands of insect, avian, and marine species.
Victoria Peak – ©Daniel Case CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hong Kong has a humid subtropical climate characteristic of southern China, despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer, although closely bordering on a tropical climate. Summers are long, hot and humid, with occasional showers and thunderstorms and warm air from the southwest. The humid nature of Hong Kong exacerbates the warmth of summer. Typhoons occur most often then, sometimes resulting in floods or landslides. Winters are short, mild and usually sunny at the beginning, becoming cloudy towards February. Frequent cold fronts bring strong, cooling winds from the north and occasionally result in chilly weather. Autumn is the sunniest season, whilst spring is generally cloudy. Snowfall is extremely rare. Hong Kong averages 1,709 hours of sunshine per year.
Air pollution in Hong Kong is considered a serious problem. According to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD), the major air pollutants in Hong Kong include nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), respirable suspended particulates (RSP or PM10), fine suspended particulates (FSP or PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone and lead.
Birding Hong Kong
Hong Kong lies on the southern coast of China close to the Tropic of Cancer. Its tropical climate, typified by the unpleasantly hot and humid summer months with the occasional typhoon thrown in for good measure, is influenced by the continental landmass to the north so that temperatures can occasionally fall as low as 5ºC in winter. Autumn is the most pleasant time of the year weather-wise, being usually relatively dry and clear, whereas spring can be unsettled – and from an ornithological perspective, the more unsettled the weather at this time of year, the better the bird watching tends to be.
Hong Kong’s image as an intensely urbanised area is an accurate one yet roughly 40% of the territory is made up of country parks or special reserves, some of which contain excellent forest areas. The best of these is Tai Po Kau, an easily accessible reserve that offers excellent woodland birding. Sadly, however, many of the ecologically important sites in the territory are not found within the country park boundaries and the northern New Territories in particular, with its low-lying areas of fish ponds, vegetable farms and marshes, is earmarked for intensive development over the next few years. Fortunately, the marshes and mudflats in the Deep Bay area, centred on the internationally renowned nature reserve at Mai Po, have been declared a Ramsar site and it is this area that is the main ornithological focus in the region.
Greater Sand Plover Anarhynchus leschenaultii – ©Bird-Photo-Tour ASIA
Over 590 species of birds have been recorded in the territory. The vast majority of these are passage migrants and/or winter visitors and the best time to visit is from September to early May. Although Hong Kong lies within the Oriental region, it is perhaps most famous for the large numbers of eastern Palaearctic waders that occur on passage, especially in April, which is the main month for overseas birdwatchers to visit in search of such species as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher and Nordmann’s Greenshank. The territory regularly attracts other Palaearctic species that are major rarities in Britain and North America. In fact, approximately 80 species described in A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe (Lewington, Alström and Colston 1991) occur here.
Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve – ©Eugene Lim from Hong Kong CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Most accommodation is located on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. Although visiting birdwatchers will spend most of their time in the New Territories, this is no problem as the transport system is very efficient and access to the main birding sites is easy. For those wishing to be closer to the birding sites, there are two good hotels in Sha Tin in the southern New Territories and less luxurious, but perfectly adequate accommodation is available at Mai Po itself (Advance booking is essential).
Mai Po Marshes – ©Wpcpey CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Immediately to the north of the Hong Kong Semi-Autonomous Region is Guangdong Province. A number of sites in the province are accessible from Hong Kong provided the birdwatcher has a few days to spare. The best of these are Ba Bao Shan and Chebaling, both in the north of the province and both a day’s combined train ride and bus journey from Shenzhen, the Chinese city just over the border from Hong Kong. These sites have a number of enigmatic Oriental species not found in Hong Kong e.g. Cabot’s Tragopan and Silver Oriole (summer) at Ba Bao Shan, Blyth’s Kingfisher and the (very rare) White-eared Night Heron at Chebaling. These and other sites in Guangdong, as well as the main sites in Hong Kong, are detailed in Where to Watch Birds and Other Wildlife in Hong Kong and Guangdong (Woodward and Carey, 1996) if you can get a copy as its out of print. A new, very detailed account of the birds of Hong Kong, The Avifauna of Hong Kong (Carey et. al) is the definitive local fieldguide.
This page is sponsored by Alpine Birding
This page is sponsored by Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
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Number of bird species: 599
(As at May 2025)
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Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Hong Kong , 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. -
HKBWS
PDF ChecklistList of Hong Kong Birds -
Wikipedia
Annotated ListThis is a list of the bird species recorded in Hong Kong. The avifauna of Hong Kong include a total of 599 species, of which 12 have been introduced by humans.
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A Naturalist's Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong
| By Ray Tipper | John Beaufoy Books | 2016 | Paperback | 176 pages, ~300 colour photos, 2 colour maps | ISBN: 9781909612082 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong
| Edited by Chan Kai Tai & Sophie Fan | Hong Kong Birdwatching Society | 2004 | Paperback | 559 pages, 760+ colour photos, b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9783621428941 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birding South East China
| By Tim J Woodward | Tim Woodward | 2006 Paperback | 423 pages, 88 colour photos, 160 maps | ISBN: 9789628508426 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 -
Birds of East Asia
| (Eastern China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Eastern Russia) | by Mark Brazil | Christopher Helm | 2009 | Paperback | 528 pages, 234 colour plates, colour distribution maps, b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9780713670400 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Birds of Hong Kong
| Ray Tipper | John Beaufoy Publishing | 2021 | Paperback | 176 Pages | 300 colour photos, 2 colour maps | £12.99p ISBN: 9781913679088 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 -
HKBWS Field Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong and South China [English / Chinese]
| By Hong Kong Birdwatching Society | HKBS | 2022 | Edition 9 | Paperback | 372 pages, plates with colour illustrations | ISBN: 9789627508342 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
The Avifauna of Hong Kong
| By GJ Carey, ML Chalmers, DA Diskin & PJ Kennerley | Hong Kong Bird Watching Society | 2001 | Hardback | 563 pages, 31 colour plates, 412 figures, 20 tables, 139 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789627508021 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Where to Watch Birds and Other Wildlife in Hong Kong and Guangdong
| By Tim J Woodward & Geoff J Carey | Tim Woodward | 1996 | Paperback | 197 pages, colour photos, line illustrations, 30 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9789628508419 Buy this book from NHBS.com
HKcBirds: Common Birds of Hong Kong
Apple iOS | AndroidThe App "HKcBirds: Common Birds of Hong Kong" is jointly developed by Department of Computer Science, The University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, under the project titled "Birds of Hong Kong in Your Hands" supported by the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund. The first cross-platform bird information app in Hong Kong that allows you to access multimedia information of common birds of Hong Kong for free.Organisations-
Hong Kong Birdwatching Society
WebsiteHong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS), which is the only local civil society aiming at appreciating and conserving Hong Kong birds and natural environment, was established in 1957. In addition, HKBWS was recognized as an approved charitable institution of a public character in 2002. At the moment, HKBWS has nineteen full-time staffs and our volunteers also help a lot in various aspects such as leading birdwatching activities. There are more than 1,700 local and overseas members and the membership number is increasing.
Reserves-
*Protected areas of Hong Kong
InformationSatellite ViewThere are 30 country parks, one geopark, etc. -
NR & WII Mai Po
WebsiteSatellite ViewLocated on the northwestern corner of Hong Kong, the Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay wetlands is recognized as 'Wetland of International Importance' under the prestigious Ramsar Convention in 1995. The 1,500-hectare area acts as a key way station and wintering site along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway where 50 million migratory waterbirds travel through each year... -
NR Tai Po Kau
InformationSatellite ViewThe Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, also called Tai Po Kau Special Area, is a nature reserve in the Tai Po area of the New Territories in northern Hong Kong. The area comprises a dense, hilly woodland with countless species of trees and numerous streams and rivers. It is noted by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society and others as one of the best locations for seeing forest birds in Hong Kong.
Guides & Tour Operators-
Birding Hong Kong
Tour OperatorFor those birders passing through Hong Kong who might like the services of a professional local guide, please feel free to contact me. In the last five years, I have taken many birdwatchers out to Mai Po, Tai Po Kau and Long Valley - as well as other good sites - and cater to all levels of experience and interest. -
Doc Martin
Local GuideI am an experienced birding guide, chiefly for visits to Mai Po in Hong Kong. -
Walk Hong Kong
Local GuideHong Kong is an excellent place for the bird watcher. The various habitats in the central and northern New Territories are home to a number of resident sub-tropical species, but the territory is at its best from September to May when passage migrants and winter visitors can be seen. Our day tours usually take in the three key sites of Tai Po Kau, Mai Po and Long Valley.
Trip Reports-
2017 [04 April] - Paul Sharp
PDF Report...Black-faced Spoonbillswere still present, though mostly roosting (so far only 3 had been seen in flight), a couple of Whiskered Ternslurked amidst the larger Caspianand Gull-billed Ternsand Black-headed Gulls, a few Broad-billed Sandpipersscurried about in with the many Red-necked Stints, and a Little Stint, pointed out by another friendly birder in the hide, who also gave some helpful tips on separating the Lesserand Greater Sandploverspresen... -
2019 [04 April] - Jan van der Laan
PDF Report...The guide was quickly found: Matthew Kwan, a very good birder. We decided to concentrate on two spots: Tai Mo Shan for Chinese Grassbird and Mai Po for shore birds and several other migratory birds. Beforehand we had to negotiate for a permit and via the Oriental Bird Club, who stated we were life-long members, we obtained the permit... -
2021 [03 March] - Newley Purnell
ReportDespite its urban density and thousands of skyscrapers, Hong Kong is home to significant biodiversity and plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Other Links-
Bird Names in Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese
WebsiteWhat's so great about a list of bird names? After all, the names that men give can never be more than just a pale reflection of the birds themselves. Well, bird-lovers may rejoice in bio-diversity, but in matters linguistic they tend to use common or garden English as a lowest common denominator. So, in the interest of lingua-diversity, here it is: the site where you`ll find hundreds of bird names in three East Asian languages. Happy birdwatching! Note: The scope of this site is limited to birds found in China (incl. Hongkong, Macau, and Taiwan); Japan, and Vietnam. As the site is still in development, information may be inaccurate or incomplete; any comments or corrections would be appreciated.
Blogs-
Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide...
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