The characteristics of Pb2+ adsorption on the surface of birnessites with different average oxidation states (AOS) of Mn, synthesized under acidic and alkali conditions, were investigated. The results indicated that the amount of adsorbed Pb2+ increased with the increase of Mn AOS in birnessites. The amount of Pb2+ adsorbed positively correlated with the amount of released Mn2+, H+, and K+ (r = 0.9962 > 0.6614, n = 14, alpha = 0.01). The released Mn2+, H+, and K+ were derived mostly from the corresponding cations adsorbed on the vacant sites. The maximum amount of adsorbed Pb2+ increased with the increasing vacant cation sites, leading to an increase of the total amount of released Mn2+, H+, and K+, and the increased likelihood for two Pb2+ adsorbed in the region of one side of a vacant site.