Qinghai Lake Niaodao Nature Reserve

Qinghai Lake, a typical representative of the world's plateau inland wetland, serves as an essential breeding ground for waterfowl and a significant stopover point for migration routes. Moreover, the lake plays a crucial role in water conservation and water-air circulation in western China, making it a vital water body for maintaining the ecological security of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Qinghai Lake is widely recognized as a natural barrier that stops the spread of desertification from west to east. It is also referred to as the "climate regulator" and "air humidifier" of northwestern China, as well as the gene pool of species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Qinghai Lake Niaodao Nature Reserve is one of the first batch of wetlands in China that was included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Niaodao, or Bird Island, is just like the name says where thousands of birds inhabit in the northwest corner of Qinghai Lake. It is a heaven for Asian birds, and the hottest among bird reserves in China. May and June are the best times for bird watching. It is quite a spectacle as thousands of birds fly over the sky, with their nests and eggs thickly dotted all over the island.

There are 227 species of birds, including 50 species under the China-Japan Migratory Bird Agreement and 24 species under the Chin-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement. The lake is a significant stopover point for international waterfowl migration along the Central Asian-Indian and East Asian-Australasian flyways, and an important wintering ground for waterfowl on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The breeding population of bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, Pallas's gulls, and great cormorants in Qinghai Lake accounts for 30 percent of the global total every year. In addition, more than 100,000 waterfowl migrate through Qinghai Lake during spring and autumn for a stay.