CollectHomepage AdvertisementContact usMessage

Arid Land Geography ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (10): 1707-1720.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.030

• The Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preliminary study of the diversity of birds in Turpan-Hami Basin

LI Xinyu1(), LIU Zhengxiao1, HU Qian1, PENG Yuyang1, WANG Hui1, LI Jianqiang1, YE Xinping2, XU Jiliang1()   

  1. 1. School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    2. College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, Shaanxi, China
  • Received:2025-01-14 Revised:2025-02-16 Online:2025-10-25 Published:2025-10-27
  • Contact: XU Jiliang E-mail:lxy3710501@126.com;xujiliang@bjfu.edu.cn

Abstract:

The Turpan-Hami Basin, an arid region in northwest China, possesses a unique natural environment that has led to the development of a distinct bird community. Despite its ecological significance, the current status of the basin's avifauna remains unclear. We initiated a study to determine the bird diversity within the region. Over six surveys in 2023 and 2024, we utilized multiple complementary methods(line transect surveys, point counts, interviews, and infrared cameras) and integrated these new data with historical records and contributions from the China Bird Report. Our survey results establish the Turpan-Hami Basin as a globally significant avian hotspot. We recorded a remarkable 295 bird species representing 22 orders and 59 families. This community consisted of summer visitors (44.75%, n=132), residents (31.86%, n=94), passage migrants (17.63%, n=52), winter visitors (5.42%, n=16), and vagrant visitors (0.34%, n=1). The region is particularly vital for conservation, as it hosts 11 Class I (e.g., Oxyura leucocephala, Otis tarda, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Falco cherrug) and 53 Class II (e.g., Tetraogallus himalayensis, Cygnus cygnus, Grus grus, Luscinia svecica) nationally protected species. We also made several key discoveries: The basin is home to the Chinese endemic Podoces biddulphi, and we recorded three species for the first time in the Xinjiang region: Lanius cristatus, Lanius sphenocercus, and Cyanopica cyanus. Habitat analysis revealed a strong association with wetlands, which contained the highest diversity, while shrublands had the lowest. The faunal similarity was highest between residential and farmland habitats, contrasting sharply with the low similarity between wetlands and shrubs. This high diversity and concentration of protected species highlight the urgent need for a robust monitoring program to inform conservation efforts in the basin.

Key words: avian, community similarity, endemic species, biodiversity, Turpan-Hami Basin