Every Sunday morning, a group of bird-lovers find a nice, quiet place in Zizhu Park, set up their cameras and wait patiently for their feathered friends to appear. China is home to 1,300 of the 9,000 birds species known worldwide. Despite being a city of more than 16 million people (according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics), Beijing has about 350 kinds of birds and these winged creatures can be seen every day.

“Magpies can usually be found in the park as they seem happy to be around human beings,” says Zhao Xinru, ornithologist from Beijing Normal University and one of the organizers of the group.

In the past 20 years, Zhao has organized numerous bird-watching sessions and contests throughout the country. In Beijing, you can find Egrets, Woodpeckers, general Nighthawk, white waist Swift, Sambo birds and the common Azure-winged Magpie, of which there are 26 kinds. The city also has wild geese and ducks, Spoonbills, Orioles, Chickadees, and more than 100 kinds of Cuckoos.

The best time for bird-watching in Beijing is spring, and bird activity gets busiest early morning as they forage for food.

You can find some common Teal, small PT Herons, and small Reed-warblers in city parks such as the Temple of Heaven, Yuanmingyuan, the Summer Palace and the Beijing Botanical Garden.

Orioles, Ducks and Egrets can be found in the wetland areas on the outskirts of the city, while the mountain areas outside the city feature birds of prey, such as the gray-face mad Eagles, Hawks, and red Falcons. Here is a rundown of the most commonly found birds in the city:

Magpie

The Magpie is often seen in north China, especially Beijing.

Those living in siheyuan or courtyard houses – can easily spot these birds, which often nest under the eaves and show no fear of human beings. Many Chinese believe that a magpie brings good luck, and this explains the bird’s image on paper-cuts, New Year pictures and some artworks.

The blue winged creature dubbed “goddess,” has been an auspicious symbol in China for thousands of years.

According to legend, every year thousands of magpies form a bridge across the Milky Way on the evening of July 7 in the lunar calendar, to help a cowherd meet his wife, a fairy, in the sky.

With black-and white-striped feathers and a cherry red patch on its lower white belly, the great spotted Woodpecker can be easily identified in woodland, parks, and rural and suburban gardens. It is Beijing’s most common Woodpecker, numbering about 100,000.

Billed as the percussionist of the city, the bird gives an impressive performance in spring, drumming loudly and rhythmically into tree trunks to make a hole to nest in.

“In this season, the bird usually make its signature fast drumming sound, a very sharp, quick knocking on wood, to attract its mate,” says bird-lover Zhao.

Males have a small red patch on the back of the head. If you spot one with a bigger red patch on the crown of its head, it’s likely to be a young bird.

This clever bird is quite shy and often tries to hide around the other side of a tree. Although rarely seen on the ground, the great spotted woodpecker will visit bird tables and peanut feeders.

White-browed Chinese Warbler

A loud and sweet twitter “chee-anh, chee-anh” usually echoes around Huairou reservoir.

Beijing bird watchers locate the white-browed Chinese Warbler through this distinctive cry. With black stripes on the back, this species, which is a typical bird of north China, has a body length of less than 20 cm.

Usually found in thick undergrowth, the bird is also called a long-tail wolf, for it flies low and fast while trailing a straight and long tail behind it.

Snowy-browed Chinese Nuthatch

The Fragrant Hills offer an ideal woodland for Chinese nuthatches, who live there around the year. The compact birds, 11.5 cm long, have a distinct head marking, a cool black eye stripe, with a contrasting white “eyebrow”.

Like woodpeckers, they forage along tree trunks and branches, and sometimes nest in the cavities abandoned by woodpeckers. However, they rely on their strong legs and feet to progress in jerky hops instead of on tails for support.

They are able to descend head-first and hang upside-down beneath twigs and branches. Nuthatches are very vocal, using mellow whistles like “wip, wip”, and raucous trills like “schraa”.

Ibisbill Beijing

The Ibisbill often triggers heated discussion among Beijing’s bird watchers.

The Tanghe River in Huairou district is the best place to see this mysterious bird, which prefers being alone. Many watchers spend days hoping for a glimpse of this lonely worker foraging along the river and hear its ringing “klew-klew”, but often in vain. The adult is grey with a round white belly and down-curved bill. The young ones lack the black on the face and breast, and the bill is duller.