Liaoning Province

Liaoning is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. It covers 145,900 km2 (56,300 square miles) with a population of more than 42 million people. Its capital is Shenyang, a city of around 8 million people. It is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost coastal province of the People’s Republic of China. It borders the Yellow Sea (Korea Bay) and Bohai Sea in the south, North Korea’s North Pyongan and Chagang provinces in the southeast, Jilin to the northeast, Hebei to the southwest, and Inner Mongolia to the northwest.

Liaoning is also one of China’s leading provinces in research and education. The second city is Dalian with 6.35 million followed by Anshan, Yingkou, Jinhou and Fushan. Liaoning has the largest and wealthiest provincial economy of Northeast China. Leading industries include petrochemicals, metallurgy, electronics telecommunications, and machinery. The province’s main agricultural products include maize, sorghum, and soybeans. The region around Dalian produces three-quarters of China’s exported apples and peaches. Cotton is also produced.

The Liao River at Panjin – ©吴张帆 CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Yalu River marks the province’s border with North Korea, emptying into the Korea Bay between Dandong in Liaoning and Sinuiju in North Korea. It is possible to think of Liaoning as three approximate geographical regions: the highlands in the west, plains in the middle, and hills in the east.

The highlands in the west are dominated by the Nulu’erhu Mountains, which roughly follow the border between Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. The entire region is dominated by low hills. A narrow strip of coastal plains, known as the Liaoxi Corridor, connects the Liao River Basin to the North China Plain, ending at the Shanhai Pass of the Great Wall. The central part of Liaoning consists of a basin drained by rivers such as the Liao, Daliao, and their tributaries. This region is mostly flat and low-lying. The eastern part of Liaoning is dominated by the Changbai Mountains and Qianshan Mountains which extend into the sea to form the Liaodong Peninsula. The highest point in Liaoning, Mount Huabozi is found in this region.

Qianshan – ©红烧腰果CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Liaoning has a continental monsoon climate, and rainfall averages to about 17 to 45 inches annually. Summer is rainy while the other seasons are dry.

Birding Liaoning

As an important migration stopover place for waders, wildfowl and raptors in particular, Liaoning Province has recorded a large number of water birds; c. 40% of the total. Migrants make up 50%.

Located in Panjin City and coastal area of Liaodong Bay in Jinzhou city, Liaohekou Nature Reserve consists of alluvial wetlands in the lower reaches of rivers and features wide mudflats and a vast reed swamp. It is the largest reed marsh in high latitudes areas of China. It now covers around 800,000 hectares. The goal of the reserve is to protect the endangered and rare waterbirds and the marsh ecosystem. The reserve has the world’s largest reedbed, which is home to over 260 bird species including Red-crowned Crane, Ferruginous Duck, Black-winged Stilt, Grey-headed Lapwing, Lesser Sand Plover, Kentish Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Oriental Pratincole, Saunders’s Gull, Caspian Tern, Chinese Penduline Tit, Oriental Reed Warbler, Reed Parrotbill, Siberian Rubythroat and Pallas’s Reed Bunting to name but a few.

Bluethroat Luscinia svecica – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Located in Donggang City, the Yalu River Estuary Reserve covers 108,000 hectares and consists of reed marsh, tidal flat, and some farmland. The reserve is an important stopover for migrants. The long-distance migrants, which go to New Zealand and Australia for the winter and to Siberia to breed lose half their body weight after the 6,500 km journey. The Yalu River Estuary is an ideal place for them to refuel. The reserve has recorded at least 240 bird species which include Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Kentish Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint, Terek Sandpiper, Saunders’s Gull, Pallas’s Reed Bunting and Black-faced Bunting among others. Laotieshan Nature Reserve is located in the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. The main vegetation of the reserve is cultivated land and secondary forests. There are rivers and reservoirs in the reserve. The unique geographic situation makes this reserve a main passage and stopover for migrant birds in East Asia. Millions of migrant birds pass through every year. These include many raptors including Crested Honey-buzzard, Greater Spotted Eagle, Booted Eagle, Grey-faced Buzzard, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Pied Harrier, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Black Kite, Eastern Buzzard and Amur Falcon. Other target species include Chinese Egret, Yellow Bittern, Black-tailed Gull, Bull-headed Shrike, Yellow-bellied Tit, Thick-billed, Black-browed Reed, Lanceolated, Pallas’s Grasshopper and Radde’s Warblers, as well as Brown-eared Bulbul, Beijing Babbler, Siberian Rubythroat, Siberian Blue Robin, Pechora Pipit, Yellow-billed Grosbeak, Chestnut-eared Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, etc.

Siberian Blue Robin Larvivora cyane – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Xingrentuo Reserve is located five kilometres to the southeast of Shicheng Island, and consists of two islands named Xingrentuo and Yuanbaotuo. It is protected as a no-hunting area. Xingrentuo Island is the only breeding spot in China of the critically endangered Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor. There are also more than 3,000 Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris breeding there.

Jinshitan Scenic Area, also known as the Golden Pebble Beach National Resort, is situated in the Liaodong Peninsula and facing the Huanghai River. It is about 50 kilometres away from the northeast of Dalian City. It comprises two peninsulas with a spacious beach in-between, with a land area of 62 km² and a water surface of 58 km². Encircled by sea all around, the beach enjoys a coastline of 30 kilometres. The region has an oceanic monsoon climate, with mild temperature and a distinct four seasons. Environment here is among the best throughout the country. Fresh air, clean sea water and spacious beach that extended 4 kilometres along the coast line. The unique geographic situation makes this reserve one of the main passage and stopover areas for migrant birds in East Asia. Millions of migrant birds pass through annually. These include ducks like Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, Baer’s Pochard as well as Japanese Quail, Hill Pigeon and many waders like Black-winged Stilt, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Long-toed Stint, Terek, Marsh & Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Other notable species are: Black-tailed Gull, Chinese Egret, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Eastern Buzzard, Upland Buzzard, Chinese Grey Shrike, Chinese Penduline Tit, Zitting Cisticola, Brown-eared Bulbul, Black-browed Reed, Yellow-browed & Dusky Warblers. Also look out for Beijing Babbler, Naumann’s Thrush, Siberian Accentor, Red-throated Pipit, Meadow Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting & Pallas’s Reed Bunting.