🦆2.1 CWBS: 2025 Chengdu Plain Wintering Waterbird Survey Results Report

2025 Chengdu Plain Wintering Waterbird Survey Results Released
Rare Birds Spotted, Threats Identified, Conservation on Track

From January 5 to 15, 2025, the 9th Chengdu Plain Wintering Waterbird Synchronous Survey was conducted across Sichuan Province. The project was organized under the guidance of the Sichuan Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Chengdu Park City Construction and Management Bureau. It was led by Dr. Que Pin Jia’s Lab IV, along with multiple research institutes, universities, and birdwatching associations (full list attached).

Objective

• Assess current populations and trends of wintering waterbirds.

• Evaluate effectiveness of ecological protection in the Yangtze River Basin.

• Support China’s implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention.

Survey Scope

• Survey coordinated with national and provincial monitoring protocols.

• Covered the narrow definition of Chengdu Plain only.

• Included 62 survey units across 385 sampling sites in 28 districts/counties in five cities: Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang, Meishan, Leshan.

• Wetland types: rivers, lakes, and paddy fields along the Min, Tuo, Fu, Dadu, and Qingyi Rivers.

• About 20 sites reused or optimized from previous rounds.

Technical Summary

• Total recorded: 69 species, 74,363 individuals.

• First-class nationally protected species (4):

  • Mergus squamatus, Aythya baeri, Ciconia nigra, Platalea minor

• Second-class protected species (8):

  • Anser erythropus, Mergellus albellus, Aix galericulata, Anas formosa, Podiceps auritus, Podiceps nigricollis, Platalea leucorodia, Ibidorhyncha struthersii

New Records

First recorded in 9-year survey history:

• Rallus indicus – Mianzhu, Mianyuan River

• Platalea minor – Mianyang, Fu River

• Ixobrychus sinensis – Chengdu, Fu River

• Philomachus pugnax – Pengzhou, Jian River

• Lymnocryptes minimus – Deyang, Mianyuan River

Cumulative survey record: 8 orders, 17 families, 99 species

Trends & Observations

• Overall bird numbers show stable growth.

• Fewer species and individuals compared to 2024 (Round 8) due to smaller survey area (this round: 5 cities, 62 units; 2024: 13 cities, 81 units).

• No signs of mass mortality or major threats during the survey.

Noted Threats

• Recreational fishing, especially wading, floating platforms, and rafts, disrupts waterbird habitats.

• River dredging projects cause water level changes, significantly affecting wintering bird distribution and survival.

Conclusion

The survey confirms a stable wintering waterbird population in the Chengdu Plain. However, human activity, particularly fishing and river engineering, remains a non-negligible disturbance. Ongoing monitoring and stricter habitat protection measures are recommended.