City
Xi'an
🇨🇳 China
Asia, China 170 spp. recorded
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the most populous in the province and third-most populous in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous in Northwestern China. Wikipedia
34.267° N 108.892° E
🦜 Nature
170 Species sighted
1,551 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Apr Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Siberian Weasel
Mustela sibirica
LC
Amur Hedgehog
Erinaceus amurensis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Red-banded Snake
Lycodon rufozonatus
LC
Steppe Rat Snake
Elaphe dione
LC
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
LC
Florida Softshell Turtle
Apalone ferox
LC
Indian Forest Skink
Sphenomorphus indicus
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Rice field frog
Fejervarya kawamurai
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
LC
Eastern Golden Frog
Pelophylax plancyi
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Grey-headed Lapwing
Vanellus cinereus
LC
Rice field frog
Fejervarya kawamurai
LC
Black-collared Starling
Gracupica nigricollis
VU
Black-capped Kingfisher
Halcyon pileata
Recent sightings in Xi'an
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Xi'an City Wall · South
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
17Jan
1.7Feb
15Mar
19Apr
16May
16Jun
15Jul
2.4Aug
15Sep
16Oct
15Nov
16Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
—
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
—
Wildlife spots
3
spotsZoos & centres
0
placesClimate
Cold semi-arid
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.6
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 414
🐒 Mammals 120
🦎 Reptiles 39
🐸 Amphibians 10
583 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
27 Threatened 13 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.7
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
66% 📊
Coverage (98 species at ≥5% of 583 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
1 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
12 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.3
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea — Low
Protected areas 0 Low
Wildlife spots 3 Medium
Zoos & centres 0 Low
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Xi'an?
170 species
Xi'an's urban area has 170 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Azure-winged Magpie (about 90%), Light-vented Bulbul (about 90%), White-browed Laughingthrush (about 80%), Pearl-necked Dove (about 80%) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 80%). Among amphibians, the most-seen is Asiatic Toad (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Xi'an?
January and March–April
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in May–July and September–December. Those are among Xi'an's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in September.
Can you see a White-browed Laughingthrush in Xi'an?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-browed Laughingthrush sighting in Xi'an on a given day, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (over 90%).
Can you see an Azure-winged Magpie in Xi'an?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report an Azure-winged Magpie sighting in Xi'an on a given day, based on 117 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October and December (over 90%).
Can you see a Light-vented Bulbul in Xi'an?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Light-vented Bulbul sighting in Xi'an on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January (over 90%).
Where in Xi'an is wildlife easiest to see?
Xingqing Palace Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Xingqing Palace Park (24 bird species recorded), followed by Xi'an City Wall · South and Small Wild Goose Pagoda. See them on the map.
Is Xi'an good for wildlife watching?
4.0 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Xi'an gets 4.0/5: 243rd of 380 cities worldwide and 100th in Asia. 15 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data