A sampling-event dataset from the survey of wintering waterbirds in Coastal Fujian Province, China.

Abstract

Background: Coastal wetlands in Fujian, eastern China, are an important component of the regional wetland system of south-eastern China and function as a key node along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). As a key segment of this migratory corridor, coastal wetlands in Fujian support substantial populations of migratory waterbirds by providing essential breeding habitats, stopover sites and stable overwintering refuges. Notably, coastal wetlands in Fujian support several IUCN threatened species, including the Endangered Platalea minor (Temminck & Schlegel, 1849) and Anser cygnoides (Linnaeus, 1758), as well as the Vulnerable Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Chroicocephalus saundersi Swinhoe, 1871. Therefore, maintaining the ecological integrity of coastal Fujian is critical for conserving biodiversity at regional and broader scales.This dataset originates from a synchronised survey of wintering waterbirds conducted in coastal Fujian Province, China, in February 2006. The survey aimed to assess the distribution and abundance of waterbirds across the coastal wetlands of the region. The geographical extent of the survey ranged from 23°43'N to 27°17'N and from 117°19'E to 120°18'E, covering a total area of 2,657.56 km². Systematic observations were conducted at 191 fixed survey points within 21 wetlands, encompassing 25 wetland nature reserves. In total, 108,125 waterbirds were recorded during the survey, including 102,036 identified individuals belonging to 64 species and 39 genera. The top 10 species accounted for 84% of all individuals, comprising four shorebirds, three ducks, one gull, one egret and one cormorant. All records have been organised according to the Darwin Core standard, ensuring data comparability and reusability. This dataset provides essential information on the distribution patterns and abundance of wintering waterbirds in coastal Fujian, supporting long-term monitoring of species distributions and population dynamics, as well as waterbird conservation planning and policy-making.

New information: Here, we present a comprehensive dataset on waterbirds from coastal wetlands in Fujian, China. The dataset comprises 64 waterbird species and 108,125 individuals recorded at 21 coastal wetland sites in February 2006. All observation records have been standardised following the Darwin Core format and the dataset has been made publicly available via the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.