Birding brochures rarely say that there are “some birds.” Instead, places tend to be “teeming.”
The wetlands are teeming with birdlife, offering exceptional opportunities to observe a wide variety of species.
What it means:
There can be quite a few birds here, especially if conditions are particularly good.
“Teeming” is a flexible term. Some mornings, the birds haven’t read the brochure.
Photo: Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Baihualing, Yunnan, March 2026
Kai has lived in Shanghai for 22 years. He only started birding after moving to China, so he is far more familiar with Chinese birds than the ones back in his native Germany. As a birder, he considers himself strictly average and tries to make up for it with photography, which he shares on a separate website. Alas, most of the photos are pretty average as well.
He hopes that few clients of his consulting firm—focused on China’s chemical industry—ever find this blog, as it might raise questions about his professional priorities. Much of his time is spent either editing posts for 10,000 Birds or cleaning the litter boxes of his numerous indoor cats. He occasionally considers writing a piece comparing the two activities.
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