Abstract: Waterbird diversity was investigated using the point count method in Wuxing, Henghu and Kangshan reclamation regions of Poyang Lake, China, from November 2017 to April 2018. A total of 51 species belonging to 7 orders and 12 families were recorded. Within all the recorded species, Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) and Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus) are in the first category of China’s nationally protected bird species, and five other species are listed in the second category of nationally protected bird species. In terms of settlement type, winter migrants (35 species, 68.63%) dominated the community. Of the avifauna, Palaesrctic components (33 species, 64.71%) were the most abundant. The diversity index and evenness index in the natural habitats of all three reclamation regions were higher than those in artificial habitats because the vast successive grassland and shallow water areas provided suitable habitats for many waterbirds. Across all the natural habitats, diversity index was the highest in Kangshan reclamation region (3.417), and the lowest in Wuxing (2.646). In artificial habitats, the diversity index was the highest in the Kangshan reclamation region (2.986) and the lowest in Henghu reclamation region (1.229), which was correlated to diverse micro-habitats. Our results showed that the artificial habitats of Poyang Lake reclamation regions provided a good temporary foraging ground for waterbirds such as common cranes (Grus grus) and swan goose (Anser cygnoid). Reclamation regions can alleviate resource competition of birds in natural habitat, which are a valuable supplement to natural habitat resources for birds and play an important role in the maintenance of bird diversity and the protection of rare species. The natural habitats of Poyang Lake, which play the most important role in bird conservation, should be protected.

Key words: purple soil, cropping pattern, phosphorus, adsorption-desorption.