Set up in 1992 as national nature Reserve, located nearby Weining city, it occupies an area of 120 sq km with vast-stretching wetland full of waterweeds and grass. Rich aquatic plants and mild weather provide birds with an excellent habitat, annual everage temperature 11.6ºC, is the best wintering place for some birds such as blacked necked crane. The Caohai lake, covers an area of 30 sq km,  is the largest fresh water karst lake in Northwest Guizhou, Alt 2171M, rectangular shaped,  The black-neck crane, the sole surviver of the world's plateau fowls, usually comes to the Caohai lake for winter after it breeds in Tibetan Plateau.
Caohai Lake is one of the best places to birdwatch in China, and the WWF has listed it as one of the top 10 birdwatching destinations in the world.
Up to 100,000 birds winter at the lake between december and March, and 179  species of birds have been recorded, breeding birds is 87 species, of them resident 75, and summer visitor 12; non-breeding birds is 68 species, of them traveller is 15, and winter visitor is 53 species. some protected species such as the black-neck crane and white storks, golden and imperial eagles, white-tailed sea-eagle, Eurasian crane and white spoonbill etc. And most of the birds habitating in and around Boqiwan area, and also you can watch birds in Jiangjiawan, Keluoshan, Baijiazhuizi, Yangguanshan etc. And watch crane just in winter from Oct to Apr.
The Tuoda Forest, 60 km north-west of Caihai Lake, has been set aside as a nature reserve for the protection of the endangered Reeves' pheasant. Reeves' pheasant is unique to China, but owing to widespread deforestation its numbers have declined in recent years and its total population is probably no more than 5000.

The best time to watch birds in Caohai: date from middle Nov to eariler Mar, best in Dec and Jan. Time at and around 07:00, 12:00 and 17:00.

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