Southwest China’s Sichuan province is seeing a steady rise in the number of migratory bird species choosing the region as a winter stopover or long-term habitat, driven by ongoing ecological restoration efforts, local authorities said.
By the end of last year, Sichuan had recorded 798 species of migratory birds, according to the Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration. Officials expect that figure to surpass 800 this year.
Each autumn and winter, large numbers of birds migrate south through Sichuan, which sits at the crossroads of two of the world’s nine major migratory bird flyways. Some species travel vast distances to destinations such as the tidal flats of the Bay of Bengal, the coastal wetlands of northwestern Australia, and the coastal marshes of southern New Zealand. Others remain within the Sichuan Basin or continue farther south to spend the winter.
In recent years, the province has stepped up efforts to protect and restore its ecosystems, including mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, and grasslands. These measures have significantly improved local habitats, making Sichuan increasingly attractive to migratory birds and other wildlife.
One example is Qionghai Lake in southern Sichuan, where a decade-long ecological restoration project has restored 1,300 hectares of lakeside wetlands and more than 30 kilometers of shoreline. The number of bird species recorded in the area has risen dramatically, from just over 20 to a record 310 in 2025.
Notably, seven migratory bird species, including the Eurasian coot and the Asian openbill, have stopped migrating and are now permanent residents.
Elsewhere, five new migratory bird species were recorded last year on the Chengdu Plain. In Yibin, residents can now regularly be seen strolling along the Yangtze River in winter to watch black-headed gulls that migrate from Siberia.
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