Its remains have been found in the People's Republic of China, in Chaomidianzi Formation rocks from around the Barremian-Aptian boundary, deposited 125 million years ago.

In 1998 Ji Shuan and Luis Chiappe discovered among the many specimens of the National Geological Museum of China at Beijing assigned to Confuciusornis, an exemplar that seemed somewhat different.

The generic name refers to the Great Wall of China, changcheng, and combines this with a Greek ὄρνις, ornis, "bird".

It consists of a plate and counterplate, GMV-2129a/b, showing a largely complete and articulated but compressed and somewhat damaged skeleton.

Compared to the latter, Changchengornis had a beak that was more pointed, slightly hooked at the tip, proportionally shorter, and higher at the back.