| Named By: | J. K. O'Connor, X. Wang, L. M. Chiappe, C. Gao, Q. Meng, X. Cheng & J. Liu in 2009 |
| Time Period: | Early Cretaceous, 122 Ma |
| Location: | China, Liaoning Province - Yixian Formation (Dawangzhanhgzi Member) |
| Size: | Unavailable |
| Diet: | Insectivore |
| Fossil(s): | Partial remains of an individual preserved flat on a slab |
| Classification: | | Chordata | Dinosauria | Saurischia | Theropoda | Enantiornithes | Longipterygidae | |
Shanweiniao is a genus of long-snouted enantiornithine birds from Early Cretaceous China. One species is known, Shanweiniao cooperorum. There is one known fossil, a slab and counterslab. The fossil is in the collection of the Dalian Natural History Museum, and has accession number DNHM D1878/1 and DNHM1878/2. It was collected from the Lower Cretaceous Dawangzhngzi Bed, middle Yixian Formation, from Lingyuan in the Liaoning Province, China.
O'Connor et al. (2010) found that Shanweiniao is a close relative of Longipteryx, Longirostravis, and Rapaxavis, which together form a clade of long-beaked enantiornithine birds.
The genus name Shanweiniao means "fan-tailed bird" in Chinese. The authors report that Shanweiniao is the only known enantiornithine bird with a tail surface capable of generating lift, as in modern birds. They also report that only one other Mesozoic bird, Yixianornis grabaui, which is a basal ornithurine, has been reported with this fan - shaped tail feather morphology.
The species name, cooperorum, is after Carl and Lynn Cooper who donated funds to support the study of Mesozoic birds in China.