Top 5 bird-watching spots in Sanya

1. Sanya River Mangrove

The Sanya River originates from a mountainous area. It is divided into east and west branches when it flows through the urban area. The two tributaries are densely covered with mangrove trees.

The herons are native here and often can be found perched in the mangroves, such as the little egrets, pond herons, night herons, and even green herons. When the tide is low, people can see shorebirds on the river beach, such as the Kentish plover, the little ringed plover, and the sandpiper.

The mangrove forest along Sanya River is located in an urban area with convenient transportation. People can choose to start bird watching from the plank road in front of Hainan Middle School and at least 10 to 20 species of birds can be recorded along the way.

The waterfowls in this area are not afraid of people, and you can enjoy the birds in the water at close range. Especially at dusk, hundreds of herons are often seen with sparkling rivers and bathed in the setting sun.

Herons on the Sanya River. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

2.Egret Park

Egret Park is located on the edge of the Sanya River Mangrove Reserve. It faces Sanya’s urban area to the west, as well as Phoenix Ridge and Linchun Ridge in the east. Egret Park covers an area of ​​26.7 hectares, including 9.6 hectares of water. Since its initial opening in 2002, it has become one of the main leisure spots for residents and tourists.

Differing from other bird watching spots in the city, not only waterfowls but also forest birds can be observed in Egret Park. Besides, Chinese bulbul and the warbling white eye are always been seen on the grass and between the trees when you walk in the park.

Taking a walk in the park for about two hours, visitors can observe 10 to 20 species of birds.

Birds in Egret Park. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

3.Yuya Salt Field

Yuya Salt Field was once the largest salt field in Hainan province, and its large salt fields in the Yuhong section have provided a long-term bare land for birds.
There are many long-lived egrets and apes, such as ring-necked owls and sandpipers, in the field. During the autumn and winter seasons, many migratory birds pass through, such as wood sandpipers, red-necked stints, and long-toed stints.

A large number of birds are often seen here, especially herons and shorebirds. The most commonly found species include the egret, the blue-footed pheasant, the marsh sandpiper, the ring-necked pheasant, the golden pheasant, and the long-toed stint. On the branches and wires on the edge of Yuya Salt field, forest birds such as the small skylark, the blue sandpiper, and teurystomus orientails can be observed.

In the past three years, rare birds such as the black-faced spoonbill, the white spoonbill, the red-necked phalarope, the painted snipe, the whiskered tern, and the white-winged black tern have also been recorded.

A bird at Yuya Salt Field. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

4.Luhuitou Park

The main peak of Luhuitou Park is 275.1 meters above sea level, which provides a panoramic view of Sanya. It is a good place for leisure and bird watching. Here visitors can choose to walk from the park gate and climb to the top of the mountain in the company of many forest birds along the way, such as puff-throated bulbul and warbling white eye.

At the top of the mountain, you can also see the black-naped monarch, the white-rumped shama, the streak-breasted scimitar babbler, and the black-throated laughingthrush.

A black-throated laughingthrush in Luhuitou Park. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

5.East Coast Wetland Park

East Coast Wetland Park covers an area of 1,003 mu (66.87 hectares). It is the largest freshwater wetland in Sanya. The planting of the East Coast Wetland mainly consists of a background forest, a wetland planting area, a platform planting area, and an inner lake planting area.

With the improvement of the functions of East Coast Wetland Park and the gradual restoration of its natural ecology, the number of birds has increased significantly in recent years, and it has become another home for herons.

Records have been made about the presence of the northern shoveler, the white-browed crake, the red-breasted crake, as well as traces of rare birds such as common moorhen and terek sandpiper.

A white-browed crake in East Coast Wetland Park. [Photo/Sanya Daily]