In a wetland on the Haikou section of the Nandu River, two Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) stand on top of a buffalo. ZHANG MAO

 

China’s Hainan Island, with lush resources and an excellent environment, a warm climate, coastal mudflats, wetlands, and mangroves, is an important stopover on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway bird migration route. Migratory birds from all over the world travel impressive distances to overwinter in Hainan.

  

In early January 2022, the Hainan Birdwatching Association and Haikou Duotan Institute of Wetlands organized staff and volunteers into 11 survey teams who visited more than 80 wading bird habitats in Hainan to carry out a survey of wintering birds and to create a new understanding of the island province’s visiting water birds and their distribution.

 

 

A Black-faced Spoonbill/LI TIANPING

 

A total of 32,866 water birds of 71 species were recorded in this survey, which is the largest number and greatest variety of species of wading birds ever recorded in Hainan bird surveys. Sixty-five species were recorded in 2021, and seventy-one this year, which shows that the number of species of waterbirds overwintering in Hainan is increasing. 

What’s even more surprising is that there were 145 Black-faced Spoonbills recorded in this year’s survey, the largest number recorded in Hainan since the survey was first carried out in 2003.

Surveyors recorded 4 Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea), also known as the Brahminy Duck, in the Yantian area of Sigeng Town, Dongfang City, and 1 Great Cormorant in the waters of Xiaohai in Wanning. The Ruddy Shelducks were the first of their kind spotted in Hainan, and the Great Cormorant is a very rare visitor to Hainan.

Meanwhile, a Spoon-billed Sandpiper with a bird band on its right leg was observed in Danzhou Bay, proving that this rare wading bird, which originally hatched in Russia, can migrate incredibly long distances.

 

A Spoon-billed Sandpiper

 

The snipes are a large family of wading birds that frequently winter in Hainan. They can often be seen walking on the beach and searching for food in shallow water. Of the 32,866 water birds of 71 species recorded in this survey in Hainan, 19,958 of them were snipes, with a total of 37 species of snipes spotted.

 

 

A Western Swamphen

 

An Egret / YUAN CHEN

 

Hainan's vast coastal wetlands are important winter habitats for a wide variety of water birds. After analyzing survey data from recent years, experts have concluded that in Hainan, these birds are mainly located in the northwest coastal region of the island. As of 2021, the best places to spot these birds are Haikou’s Dongzhai Port, Lingao’s Houshui Bay, Danzhou Bay, Ledong’s Yinggehai area, Dongfang’s Beili Bay, and the Changhua River estuary.

 

Different water birds choose different wetland habitats in Hainan. There are many ducks, geese, and swans in Dongzhai Port, Haikou, while Yangpu Port is a winter paradise for gulls. The tidal flats around Qinglan Port in Wenchang are visited by many snipes every year. Danzhou Bay and Dongfang’s Sibi Bay are important winter habitats for Black-faced Spoonbills.

 

A Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) 

 

A Hainan bird watching map

 

1. Huiwen Wetlands, Wenchang

These coastal wetlands stretch from Maibang Village to Fengjia Bay in Huiwen Town, Wenchang City, with shallow marine waters, estuaries, sand and gravel beaches, coral reefs, silty beaches, and mangroves.

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer), the Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), the Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus), the Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), the Dunlin (Calidris alpina), the Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), and the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres).

 

2. Danzhou Bay

Mostly located in the north-central part of Danzhou City, Danzhou Bay stretches from Nanan Village, Xinzhou Town, Danzhou in the south, along the coastline north to Yantian Village in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone. This coastal wetland includes shallow waters, estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds, silty beaches, and salt flats.

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), and Saunders's Gull (Chroicocephalus saundersi).

 

 

A Saunders's Gull

 

3. Sibi Bay, Dongfang

Located near Sibi Town, Dongfang City, this area includes offshore and coastal wetlands, as well as artificial wetlands. The central region is closely wooded with healthy, mature mangroves, and the Bay is a provincial nature reserve for Black-faced Spoonbills.

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) and Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea)

 

A Ruddy Shelduck

4. Xinying Bay, Lingao

This region is located in the eastern part of Houshui Bay in Lingao County, southwest of the fishing port of Guangcun, with patches of reefs on the southwest side and the mouth of the bay open to the southwest. It covers an area of about 36 square kilometers. 

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), the Long-toed Stint (Calidris subminuta), the Common Redshank (Tringa totanus), and the Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius).

5. Dongzhai Port Xiatang Wetlands, Haikou

Located near Xiatang Village, Yanfeng Town, Meilan District, Haikou City, close to Dongzhai Port National Nature Reserve, this is an important habitat for wintering waterbirds.

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Egret, the Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), the Dunlin (Calidris alpina), the Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus), the Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), and the Common Redshank (Tringa totanus).

6. Yinggehai Salt Flats, Ledong

Located in the western part of Ledong Li Autonomous County, this area is covered with patches of salt flats and beautiful scenery. The open waters and warm climate here provide an ideal habitat for waterfowl.

Species of waders you may spot here:

The Black-faced Spoonbill, the Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), the Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra), the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus), the Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus spilonotus), the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), the Shikra (Accipiter badius), the Black Kite (Milvus migrans), the Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus), the Greater Coucal or Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis), and the Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis).