Abstract: Asian Great Bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii) was once widely distributed in 19 provinces and municipalities in China. However, the habitat quality is getting worse and its distribution range is shrinking due to human disturbance. There is a lack of comprehensive knowledge about the distribution of the Asian Great Bustard, which is not conducive to the identification of key protected areas and the scientific formulation of protection countermeasures. By combining data from field surveys, bird watching records, published data and network reports of Asian Great Bustard in the past 20 years, the occurrence data were collected and the distributions of breeding sites, wintering sites and stopover sites were analyzed. The results showed Asian Great Bustard was currently distributed in 14 provinces and municipalities, with 70.91% of occurrence sites being located in Inner Mongolia, Henan and Shaanxi. Tumuji National Nature Reserve, Huihe National Nature Reserve and Gaogeshitai Hanwula National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia were the main breeding sites. However, 14.72% of breeding sites were outside the reserves. The wintering sites were mainly distributed in the Yellow River wetland at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan, the National Nature Reserve of the Yellow River Wetland for Birds in Xinxiang of Henan, and Cangzhou and Baiyangdian of Hebei. The middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River were the southernmost extension of wintering areas. Tumuji National Nature Reserve and Mingshui National Nature Reserve had relatively stable records of wintering populations, with partial migration behavior being observed. The stopover sites were relatively scattered, including Wuliangsuhai Nature Reserve, Gaogeshitai Hanwula National Nature Reserve, Huihe National Nature Reserve, Momoge National Nature Reserve, Shandian River National Wetland Park, Cangzhou in Hebei, Yeya Lake in Beijing, Qingdianwa Wetland in Tianjin. These important habitats were the key areas that should be protected with priority. Controlling of potential risks and raising public awareness would contribute to reducing human interference and improving the survival rates of Asian Great Bustard. Through integrating the distribution data of the past 20 years, we obtained a more comprehensive understanding of the distribution of the Asian Great Bustard, and discussed threats challenging Asian Great Bustard habitats. This study provides a scientific support for the implementation of protection countermeasures.

Key words: Otis tarda dybowskii, distribution, breeding site, wintering site, stopover site.