SOUTHWEST CHINA – Specialities of Hainan, Guangxi and Yunnan, including some amazing photo hides!

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers and accommodation/restaurant staff.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

SOUTHWEST CHINA BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Southwest China: Day 1

Our Southwest China birding tour starts this morning at Sanya on Hainan Island, situated off the southern coast of China. Our hotel is across the road from the airport terminals.

[Sanya is served by flights from all major Chinese gateway cities and also has some international flights. We can easily arrange a domestic flight into Sanya on request, even if you are not arranging your international flights through us.]

From Sanya, we head northwest to Baimajing for a two-night stay.

This afternoon, we will begin our exploration of Danzhou Wan and its surrounding region.

Southwest China: Day 2

Danzhou Wan is an expansive estuary situated on the northwest coast of Hainan.

It has become famous for its wintering Spoon-billed Sandpipers, which often allow a very close approach, allowing for truly wonderful views!

As well as Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the mudflats also offer a fair chance of the rare Nordmann’s Greenshank, as well as the rare White-faced Plover and Great Knot.

More widespread shorebirds include Pied Avocet, Grey (or Black-bellied) and Pacific Golden Plovers, Kentish, Greater Sand and Siberian Sand Plovers, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Bar-tailed Gowit, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper.

Fishponds and small marshes attract the Endangered Black-faced Spoonbill as well as Slaty-breasted Rail.

A nocturnal excursion should turn up Blue-breasted Quail (yes, located at night for close views!), Eastern Grass Owl and quite possibly Oriental Bay Owl.

Other birds we are likely to come across include the near-endemic Light-vented (or Chinese) Bulbul and Red-billed Starling, as well as Great, Little and Eastern Cattle Egrets, Grey Heron, Chinese Pond Heron, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Common Kingfisher, Brown Shrike and Plain and Yellow-bellied Prinias.

Southwest China: Day 3

After a final morning in the Danzhou region, where we will focus on seeing the rare Pale-capped Pigeon, we will head south to Jianfengling National Forest Park, a beautiful area in the mountains where we will stay for three nights.

This afternoon, we will begin our exploration of Jianfengling.

Southwest China: Days 4-5

The Jianfengling National Forest Park protects an extensive area of upland native forest in the interior of Hainan.

When it was only a case of walking the trails at Jianfengling, one only had a fair chance of seeing the endemic Hainan Partridge and only a slim chance for the endemic Hainan Peacock-Pheasant. Nowadays, both species are regularly visiting feeding stations at photographic hides/blinds in the area, and so we have excellent chances for amazing encounters with these two superb birds!

Away from the hides, we will be looking in particular for the endemic Hainan Leaf Warbler and also Hainan (or Swinhoe’s) Laughingthrush, a distinctive island endemic form which has been proposed as a full species rather than a race of Black-throated Laughingthrush.

Other great birds in this fine area include the splendid Silver Pheasant, the range-restricted Chinese Barbet, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, Huet’s and Dusky Fulvettas and Yellow-billed Nuthatch, all of which we can expect to see. Near-endemics include Chestnut Bulbul. The near-endemic Fork-tailed Sunbird is also present, as is Pale Blue Flycatcher (both are represented by fairly distinctive island subspecies).

More widespread species we may well encounter include Little Grebe, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Shikra, Black Kite, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Green-billed Malkoha, Collared Scops Owl, Collared Owlet, Asian Palm and House Swifts, Red-headed Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Grey-chinned and Scarlet Minivets, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, White-browed Shrike-babbler, White-bellied Erpornis, Bronzed and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, Black-naped Monarch, Long-tailed Shrike, Grey Treepie, Sultan Tit, Barn Swallow, Puff-throated and Mountain Bulbuls, Yellow-browed and Rufous-faced Warblers, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Rufous-capped and Spot-necked Babblers, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, White-crowned Forktail, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Grey and White Wagtails, and Olive-backed Pipit. Mountain Scops Owl is also present, but as usual, it is tricky to see rather than hear.

More uncommon possibilities include the near-endemic Hartert’s Leaf Warbler and the shy and sought-after Rufous-tailed Robin, as well as Common Emerald Dove, Crested Honey Buzzard, Brown Wood Owl, Bay and Rufous Woodpeckers, Large Woodshrike, White-winged Magpie, Indochinese Green Magpie, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Orange-headed and Japanese Thrushes, Verditer and Mugimaki Flycatchers, Blue Rock Thrush, Amur (or Stejneger’s) Stonechat, Plain and Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers, and White-rumped Munia.

Southwest China: Day 6

We will set off very early this morning and return to Sanya, from where we will take a morning flight to Nanning in Guangxi province on the Chinese mainland.

From  Nanning, we will drive to a remote settlement in the Nonggang National Natural Reserve for a two-night stay. We will arrive in time for some initial exploration.,

Southwest China: Day 7

Nonggang is situated not far from the border with Vietnam and is surrounded by spectacular ‘karst’ mountain scenery, every bit as dramatic as that which surrounds far more famous Guilin. During our birding here, we will enjoy some fine backdrops of steep limestone peaks with forest clinging to the cliffs. The massifs rise abruptly from green fields and orchards, peppered with tiny villages.

The area came to prominence in the ornithological world in 2008 when a new species of babbler, Nonggang Babbler Stachris nonggangensis, was described from the area. The babblers nest high on the mountains in summer, making seeing one a challenge in the steep terrain, but in winter they come right down to the base of the hills, visiting feeding stations (both at hides/blinds and in the open) that the locals (many of whom are former bird-trappers) have constructed to attract both birds and Chinese bird photographers to the area! We can expect brilliant views of the babbler as a result.

Regular visitors to the bird hides include the lovely Blue-rumped Pitta, the spectacular Indochinese Green and White-winged Magpies, David’s Fulvetta, Buff-breasted Babbler, Black-throated Laughingthrush, White-rumped Shama and Hainan Blue Flycatcher.

Other species we may well encounter include the range-restricted Limestone Leaf Warbler as well as Black Baza, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Dove, Greater Coucal, Asian Barred Owlet, the beautiful Long-tailed Broadbill, Eurasian Jay, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Cinereous and Yellow-cheeked Tits, Red-whiskered, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Rufescent Prinia, Common Tailorbird, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Grey-throated, Yellow-eyed and Chestnut-capped Babblers, Pin-striped Tit-babbler, Indochinese Yuhina, the near-endemic Fork-tailed Sunbird, Ornate Sunbird and Crested Bunting.

Southwest China: Day 8

Today, we will return to Nanning Airport and take a flight to Tengchong in western Yunnan. We will spend one night at Tengchong itself and four nights in Yingjiang County.

Southwest China: Days 9-12

This subtropical region of Yunnan has a mild climate and some special birds. During our visit, we will spend part of our time in the famous photographic hides/blinds at Hongbenghe and Shiti and part of our time birding conventionally on foot.

There are a great number of species in the area, and indeed, the hides have become famous among mostly Chinese bird photographers for the wide variety of species they attract. Many of these species are widespread birds in the region, so we shall be concentrating on some range-restricted specialities, including Grey Peacock-Pheasant (stunning views are likely at the hides!), White-cheeked Partridge, Blue-naped and Rusty-naped Pittas, Collared Treepie, Collared and Burmese Mynas, Brown-winged, Pale-billed and Rufous-headed Parrotbills, White-hooded Babbler and Spot-breasted Laughingthrush. Some of these species are easier to see at the hides, and some are easier on the local trails. The laughingthrush is extremely shy and has declined owing to trapping, so seeing one as opposed to hearing one is usually very difficult.

Another special bird is the Grey-bellied Wren-Babbler. If an accessible area turns up for this species, we will, of course, try for it.

Even more intriguing is the Naung Mung Scimitar Babbler, a rare species described from northern Burma in 2005 that has subsequently been recorded from this part of China. We will go to the exact location of a recent sighting and hold our breath!

An absolutely amazing variety of species turn up at the hides, either using the feeding stations or just passing through, or can be seen while walking roads and trails in the Yinjiang and Tengchong regions.

These include Black Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Honey Buzzard, Crested Goshawk, Collared Falconet, Kalij Pheasant, White-breasted Waterhen, Spotted Dove, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Asian Emerald Dove, Thick-billed, Wedge-tailed and Pin-tailed Green Pigeons, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Green-billed Malkoha, Red-headed Trogon, Crested Kingfisher, Blue-bearded and Asian Green Bee-eaters, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Blue-eared, Coppersmith and Blue-throated Barbets, White-browed and Speckled Piculets, Grey-headed, Stripe-breasted, Bay and Great Slaty Woodpeckers, Greater and Lesser Yellownapes, and Greater Flameback.

Passerines include Long-tailed and Silver-breasted Broadbills, Eastern Red-rumped and Wire-tailed Swallows, Asian House Martin, Grey-backed Shrike, Scarlet Minivet, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Black-hooded, Slender-billed and Maroon Orioles, Ashy, Bronzed, Hair-crested, Lesser Racket-tailed and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos, Great Myna, Common Green Magpie, Grey Treepie, Crested Finchbill, Red-vented, Black-crested, Mountain, Grey-eyed, Flavescent and White-throated Bulbuls, Spotted Elachura (a monotypic family), Pygmy Cupwing, Streaked Wren-Babbler, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Large, White-browed, Coral-billed, Red-billed and Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers, Pin-striped Tit-babbler, Golden, Spot-throated and Puff-necked Babblers, Lesser Necklaced, White-crested, White-browed, Black-throated and Grey-sided Laughingthrushes, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Silver-eared Mesia, Rufous-backed Sibia, Black-headed and White-browed Shrike-babblers, Striated Yuhina, White-bellied Erpornis, Striated Grassbird, Mountain and Common Tailorbirds, Grey-bellied Tesia, Rufous-faced, Black-faced, Yellow-bellied and Dusky Warblers, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Hill Blue, Chinese Blue, Indochinese Blue, Rufous-gorgeted, Snowy-browed and Little Pied Flycatchers, Large, Small and Rufous-bellied Niltavas, White-tailed Robin, Himalayan Bluetail, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, White-crowned, Slaty-backed and Black-backed Forktails, the range-restricted Hume’s Treecreeper, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Ashy Woodswallow, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Orange-bellied, Golden-fronted and Blue-winged Leafbirds, and Streaked Spiderhunter.

Also possible are Jerdon’s Baza, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, Citrine Wagtail, Short-billed Minivet, Grey Sibia, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Scaly Thrush, Yellow-browed Tit, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, Tibetan Serin and even the rare Pale-headed Woodpecker.

Southwest China: Day 13

Today, we will head eastwards to the Gaoligong mountain range for a three-night stay.

Southwest China: Days 14-15

Gaoligongshan is a long north-south mountain range in western Yunnan with extensive forests. Another set of hides at the settlement of Baihualing holds a very different suite of birds of higher elevations.

There are great birds to see and photograph at Baihualing, including such range-restricted specialities as Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler, the stunning Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Moustached, Blue-winged and Assam Laughingthrushes, Beautiful Sibia, Black-breasted and Himalayan Thrushes and Maroon-backed Accentor, as well as the near-endemic Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler.

Other notables include Rufous-throated and Hill Partridges, Golden-throated Barbet, the remarkable Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Long-tailed Sibia, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Grey-winged Blackbird, Long-tailed and White’s Thrushes, Golden Bush Robin, Mrs Gould’s Sunbird and Scarlet Finch.

Additional regular visitors to the hides or birds seen along the roads include Bearded Vulture (or Lammergeier), Himalayan Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Great Barbet, Black and Striated Bulbuls, White-throated Fantail, Grey-throated and Rufous-capped Babblers, Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler, Scaly Laughgingthrush, Blue-winged, Bar-throated and Red-tailed Minlas, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Red-billed Leiothrix, Black-headed Sibia, Whiskered Yuhina, Rusty-capped and Yunnan Fulvettas, Hill Prinia, Buff-barred, Ashy-throated and Chestnut-crowned Warblers, Sichuan, Hume’s and Davison’s Leaf Warblers, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Himalayan Shortwing, Grey Bushchat, Blue-fronted and Daurian Redstarts, Eyebrowed and Chestnut Thrushes, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Green-backed and Yellow-cheeked Tits, Oriental White-eye and White Wagtail.

[Note: Mrs Hume’s Pheasant is only a very occasional visitor to the Baihualing hides. The Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve is closed to foreign visitors these days, so birding is restricted to the hides and roads outside the reserve.]

Southwest China: Day 16

Our tour ends this morning with a transfer to Dali Airport.

NORTHERN YUNNAN EXTENSION

Southwest China (Northern Yunnan): Day 1

Today, we have a long drive to Liju in the Lijiang region of northern Yunnan, where we will spend two nights.

We will stop along the way to look for the near-endemic Yunnan Nuthatch and the endemic Eye-ringed Parrotbill. The parrotbill form here presents a taxonomic puzzle. The birds in the Lijiang region have been regularly identified as being Eye-ringed Parrotbills (the monotypic Suthora ricketti), following its splitting from Brown-winged Parrotbill (S. brunnea), but they show dark rather than white irises and plumage features suggesting that they belong to the taxon styani, which is currently placed in Brown-winged! Basically, the Lijiang birds appear somewhat intermediate between the nominate form of Brown-winged and Eye-ringed, although, as they show pale eye-rings, they definitely look closer to the latter. If these forms truly merit splitting, which is open to debate, then styani may be better treated as a subspecies of S. ricketti.

Southwest China (Northern Yunnan): Day 2

This ornithologically poorly-known area offers a feast of beautiful scenery, with deep valleys clothed in deciduous and coniferous woodland giving way at higher altitudes to alpine meadows and icy peaks.

Some special endemic birds can be found in the area, and in particular, we will want to see the rare and localised White-speckled (or Biet’s) Laughingthrush. This very rare and declining species can now be seen at close range from a hide. In addition, another hide has been developed for the superb, range-restricted Mrs Hume’s Pheasant, so we will be hoping they are turning up at the time of our visit! The near-endemic Lady Amherst’s Pheasant is also possible.

Other endemics include the inquisitive Rufous-tailed Babbler (or Rufous-tailed Moupinia) and the sordidior form of the endemic Spectacled Fulvetta (which looks very different to the nominate race in northern Sichuan). Important near-endemics include Elliot’s Laughingthrush, White-collared Yuhina, Black-bibbed Tit, Black-browed Bushtit and Black-headed Greenfinch.

Additional species that we may well encounter include Southern Nutcracker, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Eurasian Wren, Green Shrike-babbler, Manipur Fulvetta, White-capped Redstart and Rufous-breasted Accentor.

Less frequently observed species include Necklaced Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Spotted and Black-faced Laughingthrushes, White-browed and Golden-breasted Fulvettas, the localised Sharpe’s Rosefinch and Little Bunting.

Southwest China (Northern Yunnan): Day 3

After some final birding around Liju, we will head for Lijiang Airport.

Lijiang is the principal settlement of the Naxi people, a matriarchal society with some fascinating social customs and the old town, dating back to the 12th century. At this point, the mighty Yangtze River makes a long loop to the north before resuming its flow towards the China Sea, forming a natural boundary to the spectacular, snow-capped peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which rise to 5596m (18,360ft) and tower above the town.

The extension ends early this evening at Lijiang Airport.

[Lijiang is served by direct flights to several Chinese gateway cities. We can easily arrange a domestic flight out of Lijiang on request, even if you are not arranging your international flights through us.]