A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird, Eocathayornis walkeri, gen. et sp. nov. is reported from Liaoning, northeast China. It is about the size of Cathayornis but is more primitive. Teeth are present on the jaws. Claws are retained on three wing digits, but that of the minor digit is reduced. The width of the radius is nearly three-fourths that of the ulna. The sternum is relatively short, with a pair of long caudo-lateral processes and a low and caudally distributed keel. The coracoid is strut-like and caudally concave, typical of enantiornithine birds. The advanced features of the scapula and the wing suggest a powerful flapping flight capability. This bird is referred to the family Cathayornidae based on a few shared derived characters with Cathayornis.