Overview
Located just inside the tropics, enjoying a wide diversity of habitats and in a prime coastal location smack in the middle of the East China Flyway Hong Kong packs a surprisingly heavy birding punch, with more than 480 species recorded in just 1000 square kilometres.
Justifiably famous for the tens of thousands of waders of more than 40 species that use the Deep Bay area (Mai Po) as a migratory stopover - birders from all over the world come here to see such rarities as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Spotted Greenshank Asian Dowitcher, Black-faced Spoonbill and Saunders's Gull, Hong Kong offers a great deal more, including a terrifc array of eastern palearctic migrants, South China forest birds, overwintering eagles, thousands of waterfowl and gulls and a recently discovered seabird passage.
It is less well-known as the only wintering site in the world for Styan's Grasshopper Warbler and the only site for the sinica race of Rufous-rumped Grassbird - a likely split.
Birds
Notable Species
Mai Po Marshes Reserve
The 400ha Mai Po Marshes Reserve is the best-known area of Deep Bay and regularly hold 20-30,000 passage waders. In addition to those already listed waders here include Swinhoe's Snipe and Pintail Snipe, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint and Long-toed Stint, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Terek Sandpiper among others. Other rarities include Dalmatian Pelican, Black-faced Spoonbill and Saunders Gull and species such as Baikal Teal and Baer's Pochard, Little Curlew and Relict Gull are possible.
The Mai Po Reserve consists of shrimp and fishponds, mudflats and mangroves and is situated in the east of Deep Bay. There is a visitore centre and hides overlooking scrapes and mudflats but a visit requires prior permission from the related Hong Kong SAR Government Authorities and WWF Hong Kong. Entry without permission is strictly forbidden.
Lok Ma Chau lies to the north of Mai Po and the paddyfields and ponds here also attract waders in large numbers.
Tai Po Kau Reserve
The best remaining area for forest birds in Hong Kong is the Tai Po Kau Reserve near Tai Po on Tolo Harbour.
To explore this reserve head for the milestone 42 lay-by south-east of Tai Po and walk up the forestry road. There are a number of trails to follow and birds here can include Crested Serpent Eagle and Asian Crested Goshawk, Asian Barred Owlet and Great Barbet, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush and Red-billed Leiothrix. The forest here is particularly good for migrant passerines and winter visitors include Grey-backed Thrush, Japanese Thrush and Eye-browed Thrush, Forest Wagtail, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, and Narcissus Flycatcher and warblers including Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler and Pale-footed Stubtail. An early visit is usually necessary to see any birds here.
Victoria Peak
Victoria Peak provides the best birding on Hong Kong Island itself. Blue Whistling-Thrush, Black-throated Laughingthrush and White-crested Laughingthrush and Blue Magpie can be seen here with the addition of various migrant passerines in season. Eastern Reef-Heron, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Black-naped Tern breed on some of the smaller islands of Hong Kong and the numerous inter-island ferries provide opportunities to see seabirds such as Streaked Shearwater and Sooty Tern and Aleutian Tern.
Birds
Birds you can see here include:
Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Streaked Shearwater, Dalmatian Pelican, Great Cormorant, Great Frigatebird, Great Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Cinnamon Bittern, Schrenck's Little Bittern, Black Bittern, Green-backed Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Chinese Pond-Heron, Cattle Egret, Eastern Reef-Heron, Chinese Egret, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Black Stork, Oriental White Stork, Oriental White Ibis, Black-faced Spoonbill, Eurasian Spoonbill, Lesser Whistling-Duck, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Chinese Spotbill Duck, Falcated Duck, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Baer's Pochard, Red-breasted Merganser, Osprey, Black Baza, Black Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Eurasian Black Vulture, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Grey-faced Buzzard, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Pied Harrier, Asian Crested Goshawk, Northern Goshawk, (mainly passage), Northern Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Chinese Goshawk, Common Buzzard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Common Kestrel, Merlin, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Chinese Francolin, Japanese Quail, Yellow-legged Buttonquail, Barred Buttonquail, Water Rail, Blue-breasted Banded Rail, Banded Crake, Ruddy Crake, Brown Crake, Watercock, White-breasted Waterhen, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Oriental Pratincole, Greater Painted-Snipe, Northern Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Oriental Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Little Curlew, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Far-Eastern Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Nordmann's Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Phalarope, Eurasian Woodcock, Solitary Snipe, Pintail Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, Common Snipe, Jack Snipe, Asian Dowitcher, Red Knot, Great Knot, Sanderling, Red-necked Stint, Temminck's Stint, Long-toed Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Japanese, Eastern Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, Pallas's Gull, Relict Gull, Brown-headed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Saunder's Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Aleutian Tern, Black-naped Tern, Little Tern, Whiskered Tern, White-winged Tern, Feral Rock Dove, Spotted Turtle-Dove, Oriental Turtle Dove, Red Turtle-Dove, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Plaintive Cuckoo, Common Koel, Greater Coucal, Lesser Coucal, Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, Ring-necked Parakeet, Oriental Scops-Owl, Collared Scops-Owl, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, Brown Fish-Owl, [(may still occur), Asian Barred Owlet, Savannah Nightjar, Jungle Nightjar, Fork-tailed Swift, House Swift, White-throated Spinetail Swift, Pied Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Eastern Broad-billed Roller, Great Barbet, Eurasian Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, (may no longer occur), Rufous Woodpecker, Oriental, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Asian House Martin, Richard's Pipit, (Aug-May, race sinensis breeds), Indian Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Buff-bellied Pipit, (Nov-Mar), Upland Pipit, Forest Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, (simillima and macronyx), (Aug-May), White Wagtail, (Aug-May), Grey Wagtail, Dark-Grey, Scarlet Minivet, Yellow-throated Minivet, Ashy Minivet, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Chinese Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, Black Bulbul, Bull-headed Shrike, Long-tailed Shrike, Brown Shrike, Red-tailed Robin, Japanese Robin, Siberian Rubythroat, Red-flanked Bluetail, Bluethroat, Asian Magpie-Robin, Plumbeous Redstart, Daurian Redstart, Common Stonechat, Grey Bushchat, Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, Blue Rock-Thrush, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Siberian Ground-Thrush, Orange-headed Ground-Thrush, Scaly Thrush, Grey-backed Thrush, Japanese Grey Thrush, Eurasian Blackbird, Red-billed Thrush, Pale Thrush, Eye-browed Thrush, Dusky Thrush, Chinese Babax, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Spectacled Laughingthrush, White-cheeked Laughingthrush, Melodious Laughingthrush, Black-throated Laughingthrush, White-bellied Yuhina, Striated Yuhina, Red-billed Leiothrix, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Scaly-headed Stubtail, Japanese Bush-Warbler, Chinese Bush-Warbler, Pallas's Grasshopper-Warbler, Styan's Grasshopper-Warbler, Rufous-rumped Grassbird, Black-browed Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola, Oriental Great Reed-Warbler, (Common), Yellow-bellied Prinia, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Dusky Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Pallas's Leaf-Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler, Eastern Crowned Leaf-Warbler, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Siberian Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Narcissus Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, [(Hainan), Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher, Black-naped Blue Monarch, Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, (Sep-Oct, rare at other times), Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, Chinese Penduline Tit, Black-throated Tit, Yellow-bellied Tit, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Great Tit, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Green-backed Sunbird, Fork-tailed Sunbird, Japanese White-eye, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Tristram's Bunting, Grey-hooded Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, Little Bunting, Crested Bunting, Oriental Greenfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Common Rosefinch, Black-tailed Hawfinch, Java Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Starling, Grey Starling, Daurian Starling, Silky Starling, Chinese Starling, Black-collared Starling, Asian Pied Starling, Common Mynah, Chinese Jungle Mynah, Eastern Hill Mynah, (rare), Black-naped Oriole, Black Drongo, Hair-crested Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Common Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Azure-winged Magpie, (rare), Himalayan Treepie, Common Magpie, Collared Crow, Jungle Crow
Other Wildlife
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History and Use
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Areas of Interest
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Content and images originally posted by Steve
