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World atlas

Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve

Nature Reserve · China

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Photo © juniperphoton juniperphoton

Photo © juniperphoton juniperphoton — CC0 1.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

At 3,200 metres above sea level on the Tibetan plateau, where winter temperatures plunge far below freezing and snow blankets the landscape for half the year, Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve sprawls across one of China's highest and most austere wetland systems. The reserve protects a vast expanse of alpine steppe and shallow water bodies, where hardy grasses and low shrubs have adapted to the extreme cold and intense aridity of this subarctic climate. Despite the harsh conditions, the reserve sustains populations of migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors that depend on these cold-season refugia. Small mammals adapted to high-altitude terrain move through the sparse vegetation, while fish species endemic to these isolated waters complete an ecosystem shaped entirely by the plateau's unforgiving winter-dominant climate and brief, cool growing season.

The reserve's value to field ornithologists lies not in year-round abundance but in the dramatic seasonal movements that concentrate birds during spring and autumn passages, when thousands of migratory species pause here en route across the plateau. Early autumn and late spring offer the most rewarding viewing, though the light at this extreme altitude carries a crystalline quality that renders distant subjects with remarkable clarity even in the thin air. Access is straightforward for prepared travellers, with basic facilities available in nearby settlements, though visitors must come equipped for genuine cold-season conditions and be ready to work for sightings across open, windswept terrain. For photographers seeking to capture the raw drama of plateau ecology and the determined birdlife that has mastered one of Earth's most demanding environments, few reserves demand or reward such commitment.

WILDLIFE

Black-necked Crane

Grus nigricollis

Bar-headed Goose

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Tadorna ferruginea

Anas platyrhynchos

Red-crested Pochard

Aythya fuligula

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Columba rupestris

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Gallinula chloropus

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Recurvirostra avosetta

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Black-tailed Godwit

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Brown-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

Hieraaetus pennatus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Long-legged Buzzard

Buteo hemilasius

Falco tinnunculus

Giant Grey Shrike

Lanius giganteus

Red-billed Chough

Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos

White-browed Tit

Poecile superciliosus

Pseudopodoces humilis

Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus

Oriental Skylark

Galerida cristata

Eremophila alpestris

Hume's Short-toed Lark

Calandrella acutirostris

Mongolian Short-toed Lark

Calandrella dukhunensis

Melanocorypha mongolica

Melanocorypha maxima

Eurasian Crag Martin

Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Hirundo rustica

White-browed Tit-warbler

Leptopoecile sophiae

Phylloscopus fuscatus

Tichodroma muraria

White-backed Thrush

Turdus kessleri

Blue-fronted Redstart

Phoenicurus frontalis

Phoenicurus ochruros

Güldenstädt's Redstart

Phoenicurus erythrogastrus

Isabelline Wheatear

Oenanthe isabellina

White-throated Dipper

Cinclus cinclus

Petronia petronia

White-rumped Snowfinch

Onychostruthus taczanowskii

Tibetan Snowfinch

Montifringilla henrici

Black-winged Snowfinch

Montifringilla adamsi

Rufous-necked Snowfinch

Pyrgilauda ruficollis

Pere David's Snowfinch

Pyrgilauda davidiana

Blanford's Snowfinch

Pyrgilauda blanfordi

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Prunella rubeculoides

Rufous-breasted Accentor

Prunella strophiata

Prunella fulvescens

Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Anthus godlewskii

Anthus roseatus

Przevalski's Finch

Urocynchramus pylzowi

Plain Mountain Finch

Leucosticte nemoricola

Streaked Rosefinch

Carpodacus rubicilloides

Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch

Carpodacus pulcherrimus

Oriental Greenfinch

Linaria flavirostris

Black-faced Bunting

Emberiza spodocephala

Tickell's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus affinis

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cotton Pygmy Goose

Nettapus coromandelianus

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Eastern Spot-billed Duck

Anas zonorhyncha

Northern Pintail

Ferruginous Duck

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Tibetan Partridge

Perdix hodgsoniae

Daurian Partridge

Perdix dauurica

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Tibetan Snowcock

Tetraogallus tibetanus

Przevalski's Partridge

Alectoris magna

Cuculus canorus

Pallas's Sandgrouse

Syrrhaptes paradoxus

Columba leuconota

Oriental Turtle Dove

Streptopelia orientalis

Spilopelia chinensis

Rallus aquaticus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Ibidorhyncha struthersii

Pluvialis squatarola

Pacific Golden Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Grey-headed Lapwing

Vanellus cinereus

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Gallinago solitaria

Gallinago gallinago

Terek Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris pugnax

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Long-toed Stint

Calidris subminuta

Red-necked Stint

Calidris ruficollis

Calidris alpina

Calidris minuta

Oriental Pratincole

Glareola maldivarum

Hydroprogne caspia

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Egretta garzetta

Chinese Pond Heron

Ardeola bacchus

Pandion haliaetus

Crested Honey Buzzard

Pernis ptilorhynchus

Cinereous Vulture

Aegypius monachus

Himalayan Vulture

Gyps himalayensis

Aquila nipalensis

Aquila chrysaetos

Eastern Marsh Harrier

Circus spilonotus

Pallas's Fish Eagle

Haliaeetus leucoryphus

Himalayan Buzzard

Eastern Buzzard

Buteo japonicus

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Common Kingfisher

Eurasian Wryneck

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Falco amurensis

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Dicrurus macrocercus

Chinese Grey Shrike

Lanius sphenocercus

Isabelline Shrike

Lanius isabellinus

Lanius cristatus

Azure-winged Magpie

Cyanopica cyanus

Black-rumped Magpie

Pica bottanensis

Oriental Magpie

Mongolian Ground Jay

Podoces hendersoni

Pyrrhocorax graculus

Daurian Jackdaw

Coloeus dauuricus

Asian Short-toed Lark

Alaudala cheleensis

Riparia riparia

Asian House Martin

Delichon dasypus

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow

Cecropis daurica

Crested Tit-warbler

Leptopoecile elegans

Buff-barred Warbler

Phylloscopus pulcher

Hume's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus humei

Chinese Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus yunnanensis

Pallas's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus proregulus

Yellow-streaked Warbler

Phylloscopus armandii

Phylloscopus fuligiventer

Greenish Warbler

Phylloscopus trochiloides

Oriental Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus orientalis

Chinese Bush Warbler

Locustella tacsanowskia

Spotted Bush Warbler

Locustella thoracica

Plain Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus davidi

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

White-cheeked Starling

Spodiopsar cineraceus

Daurian Starling

Agropsar sturninus

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Grandala coelicolor

Black-throated Thrush

Turdus atrogularis

Red-throated Thrush

Turdus ruficollis

Chestnut Thrush

Turdus rubrocanus

Chinese Rubythroat

Calliope tschebaiewi

Taiga Flycatcher

Ficedula albicilla

White-throated Redstart

Phoenicurus schisticeps

Plumbeous Water Redstart

Phoenicurus fuliginosus

White-capped Redstart

Phoenicurus leucocephalus

Przevalski's Redstart

Phoenicurus alaschanicus

Daurian Redstart

Phoenicurus auroreus

Hodgson's Redstart

Phoenicurus hodgsoni

Common Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis

Desert Wheatear

Oenanthe deserti

Oenanthe pleschanka

Alpine Accentor

Prunella collaris

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla tschutschensis

Motacilla cinerea

Olive-backed Pipit

Anthus hodgsoni

Anthus spinoletta

White-winged Grosbeak

Mycerobas carnipes

Mongolian Finch

Bucanetes mongolicus

Brandt's Mountain Finch

Leucosticte brandti

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus

Great Rosefinch

Carpodacus rubicilla

Pink-rumped Rosefinch

Carpodacus waltoni

Chinese White-browed Rosefinch

Carpodacus dubius

Red-fronted Rosefinch

Carpodacus puniceus

Emberiza leucocephalos

Godlewski's Bunting

Emberiza godlewskii

Emberiza cioides

Emberiza pusilla

Pallas's Reed Bunting

Emberiza pallasi

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Gansu Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus kansuensis

Sykes's Warbler

Naumann's Thrush

Turdus naumanni

Passer cinnamomeus

Rhodospiza obsoleta

Lepus oiostolus

Ochotona curzoniae

Himalayan Marmot

Marmota himalayana

Vulpes ferrilata

Altai Mountain Weasel

Mustela altaica

Otocolobus manul

Tibetan Gazelle

Procapra picticaudata

Przewalski's Gazelle

Procapra przewalskii

Cervus canadensis

View Complete List (248 more) →

COMMUNITY

0 Community observations

No community observations yet — be the first to log a sighting here.

Natural environment

Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve

Strong seasonal contrast, with cold winters and warmer summers.

Usual climateCold with dry winters and cool summersHigh mountain

Average annual temperature 0.8 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 3,250 m High mountain

Climate pattern Cold with dry winters and cool summers Also: Cold semi-arid

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January -12.7 °C Monthly maximum · July 12.8 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

3,250 m · High mountain

Average terrain elevation estimate. This hotspot also includes high-mountain areas; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

3,250 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

High mountain

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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