Won world recognition as a bird watching haven during the 1999 Sky & Ocean International Bird Watching Race, is the best place for bird watching in East Asia, and is one of the 4 best holy paradises all over the world, attracts many both Chinese and foreign birders each year, most birding fans from UK, France, USA, Germany, Japan, .Astralia, Norway, Danmark, Finland, Sweeden etc.

Beidaihe is one of those places that any birder simply has to visit. It has become famous in spring for the excellent passage of birds, notably passerine but also raptors.

About 9000 species of birds in the world, and more than 1223 species in China, but about 410 species of birds have been recorded at Beidaihe, and in Spring about more than 200 species could be seen, some of them are rarest such as .Larus relictus (relic gull, 850 birds recorded in Beidaihe, and recorded only 5000 world wide), Larus saundersi (Saunders’s Gull, not more than 4000 birds survival over the world, most in China coast, and Luanhe–Luan river mouth in Beidaihe is one of their 3 breeding places); Grus japonensis (Red-crowned Crane); Siberian crane, White stork, Pied harrier, Asian dowitcher, Nordmann’s greenshank

And a large group of Circus melanoleucos (Pied Harrier) with 14524 members had been ever watched and recorded in 1986; a large group of Ciconia boyciana (Oriental White Stork) with 2279 members had been ever watched and recorded; Grus leucogeranus (Siberian white crane); even some water birds from Austrolia had been seen and recorded.

Every year, Birding Race will be held in May in Beidaihe, attracts many Chinese and foreign birding fans to watch birds.
Happy Island, original named “Shijiu Tuo Island” or “Bodhi Island” by local people, but named “Happy Island” by Martin Williams who almost the founder of China birding, “Kuaile Dao” in Chinese, it is almost a pure paradise solely for birds and with title disturbance from tourists, only about 5 minutes ride on a small speedboat, although a tiny island, about 2kms long and 1kms wide, but it play important role that host to numerous migrating birds, mainly shuttling between Siberia and South China. The number species of birds in Happy Island almost the same as in Beidaihe due to its proximity to Beidaihe and their similar geographical conditions.
There are about 408 species of birds. 29 of them are resident, 379 of them are migrant birds.

Places to watch birds

River mouth (such as Daihe river, Yanghe river, Dapuhe river), Chitushan hill, Geziwo (Pigeon nest), Lianfengshan hill, Qilihai, Happy Island, Shanhaiguan pass, Laoling (old summit).

Time to watch birds

General, needs about 3-10days for birding.
The best birding time is from late April to middle May; better in middle and late Oct for another peak for bird migrating; and from late Aug to Sep for migrating birds of middle & small size; in Mar and Nov cranes migrating.

Jan, not many as resident birds watched.
Feb, Anser fabalis (Bean Goose) fly in the sky.
Mar, Winter birds start to leave; Gooses, cranes etc migrating via Beidaihe.
Apr, Chirping birds.
Late Apr–Earlier May, Peak time for migrating birds such as Oriolus　chinensis (lack-naped orioleb), Phylloscopus etc.
Jun, Breeding time for some birds.
Jul-Aug, Charadriiformes.
Sep-Oct, Another peak for birds migrating. Circus melanoleucos (Pied Harrier) migrating better from 09:00 to 11:00 in the morning.
Nov, Peak time to watch cranes etc.
Dec, Resident birds.