Xiamen Bird Watching Society

Bird-watching Branch, Xiamen Wildlife Conservation Society

Xiamen Biological Environment - Avian Distribution Pattern

According to China faunal geographic division, Xiamen belongs to the Min-Guang coastal sub-region, South China in Oriental realm. Xiamen enjoys a diverse ecological environment including forest, wetland, farmland etc. and a pleasant climate with warm winters and cool summers, and offers habitat for a wide variety of birds. Early in, Foreign missionaries began collecting birds in Xiamen during the middle of the 18 century. Around 1860, Robert Swinhoe recorded 228 species of birds in Xiamen. Since its establishment the Xiamen Birdwatching Society (XBS) has recorded more than 330 species of birds in Xiamen.

About Xiamen Bird Watching Society

Name: Xiamen Wildlife Conservation Society - Bird-watching Branch
Found on: 30 March 2002
Nature: A non-profit making organization, comprise of volunteers
Members: Members of XBS are volunteers who enjoy bird watching and care about birds and environmental conservation. They come from all walks of life including academics, government officials, lawyers, teachers, and the private sector.
Source of funding: Membership fee; Support from government/ enterprises/ funds, and expenditures shared by members of XBWS who take part in activities.

Main work of Xiamen Bird Watching Society

(a) Promote awareness of bird-watching

Help members to improve their bird watching skills: XBWS has 80 members and we organize regular small-scale bird watching activities and courses. We also encourage our members to organize bird surveys;
Organized bird watching event: XBWS holds activities during "Love the Birds Week" in March and China Bird Festival in October every year, introducing basic bird watching knowledge, and organizing bird watching activities. The number of people approached each time can be as many as 200;
Support students: We help student societies in Xiamen and Jimei Universities to organize their own bird watching activities. We also supported the birdwatching activities held in primary and secondary schools and universities;
Publicizing bird watching information on local newspapers: XBS has a good relationship with local media. We publish monthly articles on bird watching and conservation in local newspapers. This helps to build a healthy social image of XBS and makes the XBS one of the best-known social groups in Xiamen;
Actively communicate with other bird watching societies: Since the 1st Dongting Lake Bird Race in 2002, XBWS has shared skills and experience with other bird watching societies in mainland China;
Publication: XBS edited and published a guidebook on common birds in Xiamen - "Birds in Egret Island", common birds in Yun Dang Hu, common birds in Xiamen Botanical Garden and common birds in Xiamen Wetland Park. It has also produced the "Xiamen Wild Bird Photo Album".

(b) Bird Surveys

Participated in the annual synchronized Asian Waterbird Census and the Black-faced Spoonbill International Census in January; Initiated the China Coastal Waterbird Census and has been taking part in it;
Organized quarterly site investigation on birds in Xiamen;
Conducted Chinese Crested Tern survey along the coast of Fujian from October 2003 to October 2006. Breeding seabird survey has been carried out on nearly 60 islands and Chinese Crested Tern, Swinhoe's Egret, Relict Gull and another 18 species were recorded. Chinese Crested Tern survey in Nanao, Guangdong Province, and Tianheng Island, Shandong Province was started in 2008.

We offer lectures on bird watching and wetland conservation to promote ecological conservation to primary schools and middle schools. XBS cooperates with the Education Bureau and schools to organize winter and summer camps.

Contact information
Website: www.xmbirds.org
E-mail: Chen Zhihong ("Reef Egret") aiffel@hotmail.com
Address: Yifu Secondary School, No. 209 Honglianlu Zhonglu, Xiamen