Abstract: Data on species and habitat preference of waterbirds were collected at the eastern end of Chongming Island,Shanghai,in a period form November 2002 to January 2003.Transect of 2000 m×100 m was arranged in each of five habitat types from the intertidal mudflat to that behind the sea wall.Forty-nine species was observed in 34.504 waterbirds.Of the birds,37 species and 39% of all waterbirds appeared at the algae saline transect,19 species and 6% at the bulrush outer transect,10 species and 5% at the bulrush inner transect,4 species and 3% at the reed transect,and 37 species and 47% at the transect of fish ponds with reed behind the sea wall.The highest value of species richness and abundance of wintering waterbirds in the last habitat type is a strong support to the action of ecological restoration in this island—altering low-lying paddy fields to wetlands with fish ponds and reed.