Best places to go birdwatching

Chen Zhihong, secretary of the Xiamen Bird Watching Society, said that March and April are the best time to watch birds in Xiamen, and birdwatchers have a better chance of spotting rare species during this period.

The city is currently home to about 264 documented species of bird, with 136 species of forest birds and 128 species of water birds, according to Chen.

Among the many species, dunlins are the most common, with about 10,000 spending winter in Xiamen every year. The rarest species is the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, with only about 300-500 left in the world.

Egret. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]

The Egret, the city bird of Xiamen, is usually seen flying in Bailuzhou Park (or Egret Park) on Xiamen Island. However, the best place to watch the egrets is the Xiamen Dayu Island Egret Nature Reserve, which is home to thousands of egrets, said Chen.

March and April witness the largest number of spring migrant birds in Xiamen, and October is also a great time to watch birds.

It is recommended that birdwatchers get up early and stay out late, as birds prefer cooler times of day.

For bird lovers, Robert Swinhoe is a familiar name. He has been hailed as the "No. 1 Asian Bird Expert". He recorded 232 species of bird during his 15-year appointment as consul general of the United Kingdom in Xiamen and Taiwan.

Purple swamphen. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]

In 1868, Robert Swinhoe discovered the purple swamphen in Xiamen, which wasn't spotted again until 2012, 144 years later.

Recommended birdwatching sites in Xiamen:

Xiamen Island:

Wuyuan Bay Wetland Park, Wanshi Botanical Garden and Yundang Lake

Tong'an District:

Shanjinei and Jinguang Lake: high frequency of regular birds and higher chance of rare birds

Jimei District:

Xinglin Bay: higher chance of seeing the purple swamphen

Haicang District:

Dayu Island and Tianzhu Mountain

Xiang'an District:

Dadeng Island

Black swans. [Photo/whatsonxiamen.com]