Species and Habitat Preference of Waterbirds at the Eastern End of Chongming Island (Shanghai) in Winter

Data on species and habitat preference of waterbirds were collected at the eastern end of Chongming Island,Shanghai,in a period form November 2002 to January 2003.Transect of 2000 m×100 m was arranged in each of five habitat types from the intertidal mudflat to that behind the sea wall.Forty-nine species was observed in 34.504 waterbirds.Of the birds,37 species and 39% of all waterbirds appeared at the algae saline transect,19 species and 6% at the bulrush outer transect,10 species and 5% at the bulrush inner transect,4 species and 3% at the reed transect,and 37 species and 47% at the transect of fish ponds with reed behind the sea wall.The highest value of species richness and abundance of wintering waterbirds in the last habitat type is a strong support to the action of ecological restoration in this island—altering low-lying paddy fields to wetlands with fish ponds and reed.