An easy guide to birdwatching around Taihu Lake

With the arrival of black-headed gulls from Siberia, Taihu Lake has entered its prime season for birdwatching.

Last year, five monitoring zones in Wuzhong District of Suzhou recorded the presence of nearly 75,000 migratory birds. When combined with populations observed in other zones, the total number of migratory birds exceeded 100,000. Want a close encounter with these "spirits in the sky"? Here are some of the best birdwatching spots for you.

As one of the best-preserved and best-developed wetland ecosystems around Taihu Lake, it had recorded 212 bird species as of December 2025, including over 30 under national protection. In recent years, the water bird population has remained stable at around 20,000.

It is the only wetland on a freshwater island in China. A total of 205 bird species, including over 30 nationally protected species, have been recorded. Over the past few years, the number of birds has remained at around 15,000.

In 2025, two species were observed at the park for the first time: the Japanese scops owl and the common pochard. The former, a second-class nationally protected species, was also recorded in Suzhou for the first time.

No. 1 Road Around Taihu Lake, Yugang Village, New Fourth Army Taihu Lake Guerrilla Memorial Hall, Yonghui Zen Temple, Manshan Island, Hengshan Island, Yujian Lighthouse

Time: 7 a.m.-9 a.m. & 2 p.m.-4 p.m. from November to March

Essential gear: Binoculars, telephoto lenses, camouflage or natural-toned clothes, and thermal underwear

Friendly reminder: Keep a distance of at least 50 meters from birds, avoid using flashes, stay quiet and do not feed them.

（Source: 苏州发布 (WeChat ID: suzhoufabu365), 吴中发布 (WeChat ID: wuzhongfabu), 最太湖 (WeChat ID: szthgjlydjq); photos courtesy of Liang Long and Kong Fanli）
Source：iSzhou