Birds of China

China, is large; about the same size as the United States of America, but with roughly six times the population. The majority of people live in the agricultural East and South, leaving huge expanses of the West more sparsely populated. As one would expect from a country spanning 35 degrees of latitude and 65 degrees of longitude, the geographic diversity is equally enormous; tropical rainforests in southern Yunnan, alpine valleys of the eastern Himalaya, endless grasslands, deserts and cultivated valleys surrounding some of the worlds longest rivers.

Within its border are the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, Cho-mo-lung-ma -Feng, 8848 m(29,021 ft); the highest plateau, the Takla Mahan in Tibet, averaging 5000 m(16,000 ft) above sea level; one of the lowest points on earth, the Turpan depression in xinjiang, 130 m(426 ft) below sea level; and the second longest river in the world, the Yangtze River, 5590 km (3434 mi) long.

China has a great diversity of climates. In the far northeast areas permafrost and tundra are found, while in the far south tropical forests luxuriate. The vast, alluvial Yangtze plains are given over to extensive cultivation in contrast to dry Inner Mongolia where the Gobi Desert reaches its southern limits. The far west is a region of high mountains and elevated plateaus with scant vegetation.

China, owing to the immense area it covers, show many physical aspects; all contribute to great visual variety. roughly, China east of about 112¡ãE is composed of alluvial plains and low hills, while west of 112¡ãE high mountain ranges and plateaus occupy vast regions. In the far northeast the climate is very cold, the average temperature remaining below freeezing for six months of the year. In contrast the summers are hot, the July average being 78¡ãF. Such northern birds as ptarmigans and Snow-finches breed in the far northeastern provinces; snow bunting s and snowy owls are found there in winter.

Farther south the more temperate great alluvial plains of eastern China extend from the lower Hwang Ho south to the Yangtze. They are heavily cultivated and densely populated; in spite of this, many species of buntings, wagtails, Larks, pipits, herons, and other typically open-country, temperate-zone birds are found there. South of these plains the country becomes hilly, and in Fukien the hills become quite rugged. The northwest part of the province is heavily forested and the climate is still comparatively cold. In southern Fukien the climate becomes warmer, and in the valleys and coastal areas, oranges, bananas, peaches and lichee nuts are extensively cultivated. While in the hills some of the best Chinese teas are grown. In Kwangtung, the adjoining province to the south, it is still warmer, and the island of Hailan, southern Kwangsi, and southern Yunnan are tropical. Such exotic species as peacock pheasants, fruit doves, sunbirds, and flowerpeckers inhabit the lowlands and hills.

Moving westward from the eastern lowlands and hills the country begins to rise toward the towering mountains of southern Shansi, Sichuan, and northern Yunnan, and the high plateaus of Qinghai and Xinjiang. In the mountains of western Sichuan such rare animals as the Giant Panda, the Chinese Takin, and the Snub-nosed Monkey find their only habitat, while eared pheasants, many species of rosefinches, and mountain-inhabiting babblers dwell in the forests and in rhododendron and bamboo thickets. Here the treeline is at about 4500 m(14,800 ft).

Qinghai and Xinjiang are lands of high plateaus, chiefly dry and barren but in some places grass-covered, offering good grazing for horses and sheep. Such rare birds as Roborovski¡¯s Rosefinch and the beautiful blue Grandala as well as certain larks and pipits are confined to these highlands. In the more desolate areas wild yaks still exist, as well wild asses and gazelles.

To the south of Xinjiang and Qinghai lies Tibet. The great Chang Tang plateau which averages 4000-5000m(13,00-16,300ft) above sea level rolls to the sounthward toward the Yarlung Zangbo River valley and Lhasa. It is a desolate, uninhabited region of steppes, with sparse vegetation, and a great number of small lakes.

Inevitably many distinct faunal areas are found in a country the size of China. In the north, birds are quite typical of the Palearctic region, and many species form that area migrate to pass the winter on the coastal plains. Southern China is in habited by tropical species skin to those of Vietnam, Laos, southern Burma, and Thailand. Along the borders of India, the birds belong with those inhabiting the Himalayas, while western China is again Palearctic, the bird typical of Mongolia, southern Russia, and Russian Turkestan.

In our birding programs, there are 24 itineraries, which distributing from the east to the west, from the north to the south, such as in Jiangsu, Shanghai, Helongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai, Yunnna, Hailan, Sichuan and so son. If you want to come to China birding, don¡¯t hesitate to contact us, we will try our best to help you!