China's Bamboo Forests

Misty highland forests where pandas munch bamboo all day long.

ClimateCool, misty and damp in the mountain forests.

LandscapeSteep, foggy slopes carpeted with bamboo groves.

Species recorded156

Written profiles3

Groups present8

Coordinates30.0°, 103.0°

About China's Bamboo Forests

The temperate mountain forests of central and southwestern China occupy a band of country that escaped the worst of the ice ages and consequently preserved plant and animal lineages that vanished elsewhere. It is misty, steep, and heavily bamboo-understoried, and the bamboo is the organising fact for the region's best-known residents. Bamboo has an unusual habit of flowering and dying across whole areas at once at long intervals, which means an animal dependent on it must have access to several species across a wide area or starve when one fails. Above the bamboo zone, montane forest holds monkeys that endure snow for months. The region's wildlife is now largely confined to protected mountain blocks separated by valleys that have been farmed for a very long time.

Featured animals of China's Bamboo Forests

All profiles →

3 species have a full written profile.

Ailuropoda melanoleuca

VulnerableHerbivore

Golden Snub-nosed Monkey

Rhinopithecus roxellana

EndangeredHerbivore

Most-recorded wild species here

Photographed and identified by iNaturalist contributors in this region, ordered by number of records.

Sichuan Takin

Budorcas tibetana tibetana

Mammals

Chinese Red Panda

Ailurus fulgens styani

Mammals

Chelidura siguniangshana

Insects

Sichuan Partridge

Arborophila rufipectus

Birds

Himalayan Marmot

Marmota himalayana

Mammals

Hemaris beresowskii

Insects

Gandaritis pseudolargetaui

Insects

Himalayan Griffon

Gyps himalayensis

Birds

Golden Bush-Robin

Tarsiger chrysaeus

Birds

Campylotes romanovi

Insects

Lucanus parryi laetus

Insects

Auritibicen atrofasciatus

Insects

White-browed Laughingthrush

Pterorhinus sannio

Birds

Domestic Yak

Bos grunniens

Mammals

Yellow-billed Grosbeak

Eophona migratoria

Birds

Golden-breasted Fulvetta

Lioparus chrysotis

Birds

Chindwin Giant Flying Squirrel

Petaurista sybilla

Mammals

Cephalus Apollo

Parnassius cephalus

Insects

Full species checklist

A further 135 species recorded in China's Bamboo Forests.

Common name	Scientific name	Group	Records
Chinese Peacock Swallowtail	Papilio bianor	Insects	177
Western China Keelback	Hebius maximus	Reptiles	176
Chinese Monal	Lophophorus lhuysii	Birds	175
Blue Pansy	Junonia orithya	Insects	174
Red-legged Bumble-bee Carpenter	Xylocopa rufipes	Insects	173
Callicaria superba	Callicaria superba	Insects	172
Synprosphyma ookuboi	Synprosphyma ookuboi	Mollusks	171
Sichuan Jay	Perisoreus internigrans	Birds	170
Orange-and-black Pear Spider	Leucauge fastigata	Arachnids	169
Ground Tit	Pseudopodoces humilis	Birds	168
Golden Flangetail	Sinictinogomphus clavatus	Insects	167
Tibetan Macaque	Macaca thibetana	Mammals	166
Gold-fronted Fulvetta	Schoeniparus variegaticeps	Birds	165
Chinese Slug Snake	Pareas chinensis	Reptiles	163
Scarce Hook-tip	Sabra harpagula	Insects	162
Rufous-breasted Accentor	Prunella strophiata	Birds	161
Light-vented Bulbul	Pycnonotus sinensis	Birds	161
Black-faced Laughingthrush	Trochalopteron affine	Birds	160
Plain Mountain-Finch	Leucosticte nemoricola	Birds	159
Antipercnia belluaria	Antipercnia belluaria	Insects	158
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher	Ficedula strophiata	Birds	157
Red-billed Leiothrix	Leiothrix lutea	Birds	156
Grey-hooded Fulvetta	Fulvetta cinereiceps	Birds	155
Cucujus mniszechi	Cucujus mniszechi	Insects	154
Black-collared Starling	Gracupica nigricollis	Birds	151
Anadeninus yangtzeensis	Anadeninus yangtzeensis	Mollusks	149
Long-tailed Thrush	Zoothera dixoni	Birds	148
Asian Koel (Chinese)	Eudynamys scolopaceus chinensis	Birds	147
Red-billed Chough	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	Birds	146
Lethe titania	Lethe titania	Insects	146
Vespa vivax	Vespa vivax	Insects	145
Coccinella ainu	Coccinella ainu	Insects	144
Lady Amherst's Pheasant	Chrysolophus amherstiae	Birds	142
Chinese White-browed Rosefinch	Carpodacus dubius	Birds	139
David's Fulvetta	Alcippe davidi	Birds	132
Ashy-throated Parrotbill	Suthora alphonsiana	Birds	131
Myrmarachne formicaria	Myrmarachne formicaria	Arachnids	130
Common thread turtle	Mauremys sinensis	Reptiles	129
Paris Peacock Swallowtail	Papilio paris	Insects	127
Pallas' Squirrel	Callosciurus erythraeus	Mammals	127
Nicrophorus nepalensis	Nicrophorus nepalensis	Insects	126
Elliot's Laughingthrush	Trochalopteron elliotii	Birds	125
Gray-headed Bullfinch	Pyrrhula erythaca	Birds	123
Plains Cupid	Luthrodes pandava	Insects	122
Eurasian Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Birds	120
Tufted Deer	Elaphodus cephalophus	Mammals	119
Grandala	Grandala coelicolor	Birds	118
Comibaena subdelicata	Comibaena subdelicata	Insects	118
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Birds	116
Sharptooth Catfish	Clarias gariepinus	Fish	116
Chinese Hwamei	Garrulax canorus	Birds	115
Long-tailed Shrike	Lanius schach	Birds	114
Snow Pigeon	Columba leuconota	Birds	112
Chinese Blackbird	Turdus mandarinus	Birds	110
Plumbeous Water Redstart	Phoenicurus fuliginosus	Birds	108
Chinese Softshell Turtle	Pelodiscus sinensis	Reptiles	108
White-bellied Redstart	Luscinia phaenicuroides	Birds	105
White-throated Needletail	Hirundapus caudacutus	Birds	104
Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush	Monticola rufiventris	Birds	103
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Birds	103
Necklaced Woodpecker	Dryobates pernyii	Birds	103
Orange Brimstone	Gonepteryx amintha	Insects	102
Vespula structor	Vespula structor	Insects	100
Black-throated Tit	Aegithalos concinnus	Birds	99
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Birds	98
Crimson Marsh Glider	Trithemis aurora	Insects	97
Snow Partridge	Lerwa lerwa	Birds	93
Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Birds	92
Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago	Birds	92
Citrine Wagtail	Motacilla citreola	Birds	91
Pieris erutae	Pieris erutae	Insects	91
Collared Finchbill	Spizixos semitorques	Birds	90
Epicopeia hainesii	Epicopeia hainesii	Insects	85
Vamuna remelana	Vamuna remelana	Insects	84
Domestic Water Buffalo	Bubalus bubalis	Mammals	82
White Eared-Pheasant	Crossoptilon crossoptilon	Birds	81
Mandarin Duck	Aix galericulata	Birds	80
Chinese Goral	Naemorhedus griseus	Mammals	79
Bianchi's Warbler	Phylloscopus valentini	Birds	77
Pyrgus oberthuri	Pyrgus oberthuri	Insects	76
Coal Tit	Periparus ater	Birds	75
Sysstema semicirculata	Sysstema semicirculata	Insects	73
Alpine Blue	Agriades orbitulus	Insects	72
Pale Martin	Riparia diluta	Birds	71
Parum colligata	Parum colligata	Insects	70
Nola danii	Nola danii	Insects	68
Neptis meloria	Neptis meloria	Insects	66
Yellow-browed Tit	Sylviparus modestus	Birds	60
Carabus pustulifer	Carabus pustulifer	Insects	59
Red-tailed Minla	Minla ignotincta	Birds	57
Golden Pheasant	Chrysolophus pictus	Birds	56
Blue-spotted Dusk-hawker	Gynacantha japonica	Insects	55
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius	Birds	54
Common Rosefinch	Carpodacus erythrinus	Birds	53
Betasyrphus serarius	Betasyrphus serarius	Insects	50
Common Cuckoo	Cuculus canorus	Birds	48
Gray-crested Tit	Lophophanes dichrous	Birds	47
Bearded Vulture	Gypaetus barbatus	Birds	46
Blue Whistling-Thrush	Myophonus caeruleus	Birds	45
Agrisius guttivitta	Agrisius guttivitta	Insects	42
Spotted Dove	Spilopelia chinensis	Birds	41
Pink-rumped Rosefinch	Carpodacus waltoni	Birds	41
Phelotrupes substriatellus	Phelotrupes substriatellus	Insects	40
White-capped Redstart	Phoenicurus leucocephalus	Birds	39
Carpodacus sibiricus henrici	Carpodacus sibiricus henrici	Birds	38
Panorpa emeishana	Panorpa emeishana	Insects	37
Black-spotted Frog	Pelophylax nigromaculatus	Amphibians	36
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	Birds	34
Himalayan Bluetail	Tarsiger rufilatus	Birds	32
Oriental Magpie-Robin	Copsychus saularis	Birds	31
Yunnan Admiral	Limenitis homeyeri	Insects	31
Sichuan Giant Panda	Ailuropoda melanoleuca melanoleuca	Mammals	30
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Birds	29
Rosy Pipit	Anthus roseatus	Birds	29
Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Birds	28
Large-billed Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus magnirostris	Birds	27
Brown Dipper	Cinclus pallasii	Birds	25
Limenitis mimica	Limenitis mimica	Insects	24
Aporia kanekoi	Aporia kanekoi	Insects	23
Meristoides grandipennis	Meristoides grandipennis	Insects	22
Megalocaria dilatata	Megalocaria dilatata	Insects	16
Sichuan Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus forresti	Birds	15
Brown Accentor	Prunella fulvescens	Birds	14
Gray-faced Buzzard	Butastur indicus	Birds	13
Psilalcis albibasis	Psilalcis albibasis	Insects	12
Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	Insects	11
Dark-breasted Rosefinch	Procarduelis nipalensis	Birds	11
Chenfu's Treefrog	Zhangixalus chenfui	Amphibians	8
Streaked Rosefinch	Carpodacus rubicilloides	Birds	7
Pond Slider	Trachemys scripta	Reptiles	6
Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Birds	5
Great Parrotbill	Paradoxornis aemodius	Birds	5
White-rumped Munia	Lonchura striata	Birds	4
Lelia decempunctata	Lelia decempunctata	Insects	4
Large Silverstripe	Argynnis childreni	Insects	1

China's Bamboo Forests

About China's Bamboo Forests

Featured animals of China's Bamboo Forests

Most-recorded wild species here

Full species checklist

Groups found here

Mammals

Birds

Fish

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects

Arachnids

Mollusks