This website is maintained by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
Education Resource
A number of sources of downloadable education material are listed below. We encourage the sharing of education material in support of capacity building. Of course due acknowledgement to the sources should always be given when they are used in any education activities.
It would help if more education and publicity material such as PowerPoint files, brochures, fact sheets, newsletters and other publications (at a reasonable size for download) could be made available to the emerging bird watching societies in China mainland. If you are willing to share with us, please contact info@chinabirdnet.org.
Training materials
Training workshop on waterbird surveys and paper-writing
A training workshop was organized between 3rd - 4th November 2012 at Chongming Dongtan Birds National Nature Reserve, Shanghai, China. It provides training for experienced surveyors, on designing and conducting waterbird surveys and monitoring programmes, as well as training in data analysis and paper-writing.
The workshop was mainly produced by Prof. Zhijun Ma from Fudan University:
Development Workshop for Bird Watching Societies in China mainland
Bird watching societies face different problems at different developmental stages. Examples are "how to set a development goal?", "how to reach the goal?" and "how to deal with problems related to human resources (HR)?"
Two workshops were held in Wuhan (22nd to 24th Feb 2008) and Fujian (29th Feb to 2nd Mar) and guest from RSPB, Mr. Ken Smith (International Training and Development Management), shared the experiences of RSPB.
Most parts of the workshop were discussion sessions and the following lectures (in pdf format & in Chinese) were produced by Mr. Ken Smith for introduction:
Bird survey is a practical method to monitor environmental changes and is carried out by bird-watching societies, amatuer bird-watchers and researchers all over the world. Conducting bird surveys can collect data which reflects changes of bird abundance, situation of threatened bird species and environmental conditions of a forest. All the data are important for researchers and environmental managers to make the most appropriate management and conservation decisions.
This workshop was held from 6th to 8th July 2007 at Baishuihe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan. The workshop objectives were to encourage the sharing of bird survey experience and improve survey skills so that participants can help their own bird-watching societies to start some bird-survey works and to organize this kind of training workshop.
The following lectures (in pdf format & in Chinese) were produced by lecturers in the workshop:
An education resource website developed by experienced bird watchers in Beijing. It is a collection of useful education material including the well-known Wednesday Lectures, information on bird identification, photography, techniques of making records, as well as bird ringing. The URL is: http://www.cbw.org.cn
Bird watching Class
This is a series of five lectures developed by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
The bird watching class aims at promoting bird watching using "habitats" as the theme (e.g. urban area, wetlands, woodland, farmland, etc.). To download lecture material in PDF format, please click the following links:
Directory of Important Bird Areas in China (Mainland): Key Sites for Conservation
Published by BirdLife International in 2009. After consulting Chinese ornithologists, birdwatching societies in different parts of mainland China and Chinese birdwatchers, the number of IBAs in China (Mainland) increased from 445 in 2004 to 512 in 2009. >> More info
China Coastal Waterbird Census Reports
China Coastal Waterbird Census started in September 2005 with the aim of understanding the distribution, migration and seasonal changes of waterbirds along the eastern coast of China mainland through the monthly surveys. It is hoped that results of the census can help in conserving China's biodiversity and Important Bird Areas. The two books incorporate thereports written by the coordinators based on the data collected from September 2005 to December 2007, and from January 2008 to December 2009.
Published in March 2007. A handbook specially designed for NGOs to prepare for their environmental education work. It includes a wide range of examples of educational activities from across the BirdLife family, successful experience of some bird-watching societies in China and information of environmental games.
Bird Conservation Project Management - a practical handbook
Published in March 2007. A handbook specially designed for non-specialists, especially for those who have never attended any training workshops about project design or project management of NGOs before.
Published in March 2006. A handbook specially designed for amateur birdwatchers. It collects a wide variety of methodology as well as practical examples currently being used by bird watching societies and birdwatchers for bird surveys. The handbook is useful for information and experience exchange.
Birds attracts people of all ages, and is one of the fastest growing and most popular pursuits. But how does one enter the world of birder? Peter Ryan's Practical Birding - a guide to bird watching in southern Africa answers these questions, and offers sound advice on a number of areas.
>> More info
The Conservation handbook - Gratis book
A useful reference which provides constructive advice and information on how to tackle conservation problems.
It is FREE to those practising conservationists who are unlikely to purchase a copy. To recommend names of people to obtain this book, please fill in the online Gratis Request Form by providing their address and adding a couple of sentences explaining why they should be sent this book. For further information, please visit the following website, CLICK HERE.
Asia Important Bird Area
The comprehensive inventory of Asia's most important places for birds and biodiversity. It provides a sound basis for the development of national conservation strategies and protected areas programmes, and highlights areas that should be safeguarded through wise policies and land-use planning.
Saving Asia's Threatened Birds
A guidebook for governments and civil society to prevent the extinction of Asia's threatened birds. The book is a tool to show the big picture, demonstrating how birds connect wildlife habitats with other habitats in other ecological regions and countries throughout Asia.
Threatened Birds of Asia
Threatened Birds of Asia The BirdLife International Red Data Book
Edited by NJ Collar, AV Andreev, S Chan, MJ Crosby, S Subramanya and JA Tobias
This book provides detailed information on the 665 most threatened bird species found in Asia. The sites known for each species are detailed, with maps showing their locations. Full details are provided on the ecology of each species, plus threats, conservation action in progress and measures needed.
