Based on 41 years of Hong Kong Bird Watching Society records and surveys, including the first comprehensive breeding bird survey carried out in Hong Kong. A detailed analysis of the changing status and distribution of each species in Hong Kong, together with a review of 20 years of waterbird count data, an assessment of the effect of the wild bird trade on birds in Hong Kong and a summary of data collected as part of a long-term ringing programme make this an essential reference to the status and distribution of the birds of south China.