Abstract: Birds play crucial roles as predators, prey, and pollinators, significantly contributing to biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem function. However, climate change and human activities led to continuous loss and fragmentation of bird habitats, intensifying pressures on ecosystem functions and population survival. In China, systematic monitoring of avian diversity began relatively late, with existing observation points predominantly located in ecologically favorable areas such as the eastern and southern coastal regions. This resulted in a notable monitoring gap in arid zones. Situated in the northwest desert region of China, the Gansu Annanba Wild Camel National Nature Reserve serves as a vital habitat and refuge for wildlife. Recent changes in regional environmental conditions, taxonomic updates, and advancements in field surveys have led to significant shifts in the status, distribution, population dynamics, and threatening factors of birds in the reserve. These developments require a comprehensive update of the existing species list to meet the demands of precise conservation and management. To understand the dynamics of bird diversity and faunal composition in the Annanba Reserve, this study employed a combination of fixed line transect methods, infrared camera monitoring, video surveillance, and literature review from 2020 to 2025 for a systematic survey of avian resources. A total of 23 line transects, each exceeding 5 km in length, were established, alongside 25 infrared cameras deployed in key water source areas. The integration of existing video data enabled the creation of a comprehensive bird species checklist for the reserve. The results documented 175 bird species within the Annanba Reserve, classified into 17 orders and 42 families, with Passeriformes (accounting for 56.57%) being the dominant group. Among them, 8 species are under national first-class protection and 27 species under second-class protection. Additionally, species listed in the "China Biodiversity Red List: Volume of Vertebrates (2020)" include 2 endangered, 7 vulnerable, and 19 near-threatened species. The faunal composition is primarily composed of Palearctic species (125), along with 46 widespread species and 4 Oriental species. Residence types included 77 resident species, 67 summer migrants, 20 passage migrants, 10 winter migrants, and 1 vagrant. Compared to historical records, 25 new species were added, including Falco naumanni, Phalacrocorax carbo, and Fulica atra. The study highlights the rich avian diversity and concentration of rare and endangered species in the Annanba Reserve, underscoring its considerable conservation value. It is recommended to strengthen the protection of water sources and typical habitats based on research findings. Moreover, newly recorded and rare species be included in long-term monitoring systems, thus enhance the biodiversity conservation effectiveness.