18th China Ornithological Congress Concludes in Nanning, Opening a New Century for Bird Research in China
Release Time: November 17, 2025 Author: Bella Zhang, Ava Wu
18th China Ornithological Congress Concludes in Nanning, Opening a New Century for Bird Research in China
From October 23 to 27, 2025, the 18th China Ornithological Congress was successfully held at Guangxi University in Nanning. Co-organized by the Ornithological Society of China (Chinese Zoological Society) and the journal Avian Research, and hosted by the College of Forestry and the College of Animal Science and Technology at Guangxi University, the event brought together nearly 1,100 participants. Delegates represented all regions of China—including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan—as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, and more than ten other countries. This record-breaking attendance marked the largest gathering in the congress’s history and signaled a new era for ornithological research in China.
The congress presented a comprehensive and dynamic academic program. This five-day event featured six plenary lectures, three special early-career researcher presentations, 28 symposia with 168 talks, seven rapid oral sessions comprising 95 talks, seven roundtable discussions, and 112 posters. A total of 430 abstracts were submitted from over 150 institutions, setting new benchmarks in academic depth, disciplinary diversity, and community engagement since the congress’s inception in 1980.
Wenyi Zhou of the AlpineBirding team delivered a talk titled “Variation in the Extent of Preformative Molt in Birds of Subtropical Asia.” In his report, he emphasized the importance of preformative molt for understanding birds’ life-history strategies and its critical role in collecting age-related data for population ecology.
The plenary sessions, in turn, showcased cutting-edge advances from leading Chinese and international ornithologists, highlighting progress in evolutionary biology, conservation, physiology, and ecological monitoring. Across the symposia and thematic sessions, the scientific program demonstrated the expanding breadth of China’s ornithological research. Traditional research fields—such as breeding ecology, endangered species conservation, and avian evolution—were complemented by emerging areas including avian responses to climate change, gut microbiome, urban bird diversity, and the integration of AI and citizen science into bird monitoring. A landmark symposium dedicated to Chinese seabird research was held for the first time, reflecting growing national attention to marine ecosystems. Discussions also addressed human–bird conflict mitigation and bird-borne diseases within a “One Health” framework, underscoring the discipline’s relevance to broader ecological and public health challenges.
To further engage participants, a campus birding competition was organized during the congress. Eighty-four teams comprising 257 participants recorded 2,181 bird observations and identified 127 species, including three new records for Guangxi University—most notably the Band-bellied Crake (Zapornia paykullii) —adding excitement and real-world biodiversity insights to the academic gathering.
With its expanded international participation, record-setting contributions, and wide-ranging scientific topics, the 18th China Ornithological Congress marked a milestone moment for China’s ornithological community. The event not only celebrated past achievements but also laid a strong foundation for future collaboration and innovation in avian science.
