Bird Island Introduction

Bird Island (Niǎo Dǎo 鸟岛) encompasses two islands, one is Haixi Pi  (Hǎixī Pí 海西皮)in the east, and in the west is the Haixi Shan (Haǐxī Shān 海西山) which is four times smaller than the former island but is where most of the birds of the lake congregate. When the spring and summer come, many birds fly from faraway mountains and deserts to breed here. In the noisiest months of April and May, their numbers can amount to ten thousand, 80% to 90% of which stop on the Haixi Shan (Haǐxī Shān 海西山).

Qinghai Lake has an area of 4300 Square Kilometers, also is the largest inland salt lake and wetland. Owing to its unique geography and climate environment, each year it has attract thousands of migrant birds come around for living a long time. In May and June ,there are more than 30 species of birds, at its peak can reach sixteen thousand birds once time, that kind of scenery looks really an impressive grand sight.
 

Bird Island History

Before the communist revolution in China in 1949, an annual ceremony was conducted to the God of the Lake. The Kuomintang  (Guó mín dǎng 国民党)  Chinese Muslim General Ma Bufang, the Governor of Qinghai, and other high ranking Qinghai and Chinese government officials attended the Kokonuur Lake Ceremony where the God of the Lake was worshipped, and during the ritual, the Chinese national Anthem was sung, all participants bowed to a Portrait of Kuomintang party founder Dr. Sūn Yìxiān (Sūn Yìxiān 孙中山), and the God of the Lake was also bowed to, and offerings were given to him by participants, included Muslims.

Bird Island Location

Bird Island (Niǎo Dǎo 鸟岛), which lies northwest of Qinghai Lake (Qīnghǎi Hú 青海湖)one of the most beautiful lakes in China, is connected to the bank on one side whilst the others are surrounded by water. With eggs interspersed all over the island, Haixi Shan is also called 'Egg Island'   (Dàn Dǎo 蛋岛).Then why does the island attract so many birds? Because it has a flat physiognomy and mild climate, and is close to the water, which produces rich float grasses and fishes. The    environment here is also very quiet, so it is a natural space for the birds to reproduce and inhabit.


Bird Island Watching Season
                                                          
Bird Island (Niào Dǎo 鸟岛), is a breeding ground wildgeese,gulls,cormorants,sandpipers,extremely rare black-necked cranes and other bird species. Perhaps the most interesting are these bar-headed geese.These hardly birds migrate over the Himalayas to spend winter on the Indian plains and have been spotted flying at altitudes of 10,000m. You will only see great numbers of birds during the breeding season between March and early June.

Bird Island Environment

In the noisiest months of April and May, their numbers can amount to ten thousand, 80% to 90% of which stop on the Haixi Shan and lay eggs there. With eggs interspersed all over the island, Haixi Shan is also called 'Egg Island'  (Dàn Dǎo 蛋岛).Then why does the island attract so many birds? Because it has a flat physiognomy and mild climate, and is close to the water, which produces rich float grasses and fishes. The environment here is also very quiet, so it is a natural space for the birds to reproduce and inhabit.



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Qinghai Lake- the largest lake in China

Qinghai Lake (qīng hǎi hú 青海湖) , formerly known as Koko Nur or Kukunor, is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai  (qīng hǎi shěng 青海省) and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Koko Nur both mean "Blue/Teal Sea/Lake" in Chinese and Mongolian. It is located about 100 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Xining (xī níng 西宁市) at 3,205 m (10,515 feet) above sea level in a depression of the Tibetan Plateau in the cultural area known to ethnic Tibetans as Amdo. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of them seasonal. Five permanent streams provide 80% of total influx.