22 Days Classic Sichuan Birding Tour - Itinerary

22 Days Classic Sichuan Birding Tour

22 Days / Limited to ~8 Travelers / $TBA

Sichuan Province is becoming world-renowned for its birds and wildlife, particularly game birds (pheasant, partridge, tragopan, and grouse). This trip covers almost all kinds of habitats in Sichuan, we will visit some very popular birding sites such as Hailuogou, Balang Mountain, Wolong Nature Reserve, Mengbi Mountain, Flower Lake, Baxi Forest, Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, just to name a few here.

By concentrating on China’s endemics, this 22-day birding trip is absolutely an ultimate chance for endemics and many range-restricted species in China. Though some part of this trip is a little strenuous due to climbing or walking in high-elevation areas, we will be rewarded by not only the rare bird species but also some extraordinary mammals such as Red Panda, Golden-snub-nosed Monkey, Tibetan Fox, Hog Badger, Takin, Tibetan Macaque, Reeves’ Muntjac, Chinese Goral, Tufted Deer, Sambar, etc., in addition to the beautiful scenery and rich ethnic minority culture.

Tour Info Sheet

Highlight Birds	Temminck's Tragopan, Golden Pheasant, Tibetan Snowcock, Chestnut-throated Partridge, Chinese Monal, Chinese Grouse, Blue Eared Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, White Eared Pheasant, Grandala, Chinese Rubythroat, Firethroat, Sichuan Jay, Sichuan Wood Owl, Black-necked Crane, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Brown Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrotbill, Grey-hooded Parrotbill, Golden Parrotbill, Przevalski's Pinktail, Collared Grosbeak, White-winged Grosbeak, Goldcrest, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush, Giant Laughingthrush, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Slaty Bunting, Crested Tit Warbler, White-browed Tit Warbler, Chinese Fulvetta, Sichuan Tit, White-browed Tit, Wall Creeper, Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture), Red-billed Chough, Yellow-billed Chough, Long-tailed Rosefinch, Common Rosefinch, Chinese Beautiful Rosefinch, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Crimson-browed Finch, Red-fronted Rosefinch, etc.
Numbers of Species to Expected	~250-300
Ease of Birding	mostly easy birding with a few tricky species
Highlight Mammals	Red Panda, Golden-snub-nosed Monkey, Tibetan Fox, Hog Badger, Takin, Tibetan Macaque, Reeves's Muntjac, Chinese Goral, Tufted Deer, Sambar, Masked Palm Civet, etc.
Other Attractions	Tibetan culture, wild panda habitat, delicate food
Photography opportunities	birding focused but with very good photography chances
Habitats Covered	subtropical forests, woodlands, grasslands, snow mountains, wetlands
Expected Climate	mostly comfortable, windy and cold on the plateau, humid in the basin, rain is possible
Physical Requirements	mostly easy, demanding but optional on certain part
Accommodation	very comfortable
Transportation	19-seat van

What makes this trip irreplaceable?

1. The combination of our experienced western guides and local guides ensure your needs are well met.

2. We run the trip in the best season. Not only birds are in the breeding season, but all the destinations have the most beautiful sceneries in this season.

3. Small groups with more flexibility. The group is limited to 8 so that we can maximize the chances of each participant. Besides, we can use a smaller and convenient van compare with big groups.

4. This trip covers the most popular and classic birding sites of Sichuan.

5. Explore the Tibetan areas of Sichuan to see some plateau specials.

6. We have been a reliable local partner for some western birding and wildlife companies for many decades.

7. We have a strong logistic team to ensure your trip goes smoothly and ensures you a comfortable and enjoyable journey.

Gallery

Dates & Prices

Dates	Booking State	Price	Single Supplement	Group Size	Guide
May 8-Jun 29, 2026	Space Available	TBA	TBA	6-8	Local Guide

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The cost includes the following:

1. Private transportation throughout the trip, including airport pick-up and drop-off at Chengdu airports.

2. Meals at well-reviewed local restaurants, from dinner on the first day through breakfast on the final day. Picnic lunches will be provided when necessary.

3. Entrance fees for all sites listed in the itinerary, including birding hides and shuttle buses.

4. Accommodation from the first night to the last night, based on twin-share occupancy (two people per room) at quality 3- to 4-star hotels in cities and the best available guesthouses in remote areas.

5. Bottled water and snacks provided throughout the trip.

6. Simple Western-style breakfasts whenever available.

7. Services of an experienced English-speaking bird guide for the entire duration of the trip.

8. China domestic travel insurance coverage.

9. Full logistical support throughout the journey.

The cost does not include the following:

1. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages during meals.

2. Additional costs arising from itinerary changes made by the client or from factors beyond AlpineBirding’s control, such as natural disasters or changes in government policy.

3. Discretionary tips for local guides and drivers.

4. Personal expenses, including laundry services.

5. Airfare to the trip starting point and from the trip ending point.

6. Banking and transaction fees charged by banks or third-party companies during payment to AlpineBirding’s accounts.

7. Any activities or services not listed in the itinerary.

Itinerary

Tour Map

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Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu (~500m).

On the first day of the tour, a private guide or driver will meet you upon arrival at either Chengdu Shuangliu Airport or Tianfu International Airport. You will then be transferred to a downtown hotel for an overnight stay. If you arrive early, we will enjoy a relaxing birding session at a nearby park close to the hotel.

Day 2: Chengdu to Yibin (4hrs, ~500m).

Before beginning our long drive to Yibin, we will make a short visit to the Chengdu Botanical Garden. Known as one of the best urban birding spots in the city, the garden boasts a rich diversity of flora and high forest coverage. It offers excellent opportunities to observe a variety of urban and resident bird species, such as the Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Chinese Bulbul, White-browed Laughingthrush, Red-billed Leiothrix, Japanese White-eye, Chinese Blackbird, Chinese Grosbeak, Collared Finchbill, Long-tailed Shrike, Fork-tailed Sunbird, and Hoopoe.

Day 3: Yibin (500-1600m).

We will spend the full day at several birding hides in Yibin. Tanshi Village, located in a beautiful low-altitude forest, has become a prime birding destination in recent years. With support from the local government, residents have built multiple well-maintained hides, providing food and water to attract birds for birders and photographers. These hides have become a sanctuary for several rare and elusive species that are difficult to observe in the wild, including the Sichuan Partridge, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Temminck's Tragopan, Emei Shan Liocichla, Red-billed Leiothrix, Golden Parrotbill, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Rusty Laughingthrush, and Red-billed Blue Magpie.

Day 4: Yibin to Wawu Mt. (4hrs, 500-1900m).

This morning, we'll have a final opportunity to search for any key species we may have missed before heading to Wawu Mountain.

Day 5: Wawu Mt. (1900-2600m).

Wawu Mountain is not only a popular tourist destination but also an unmissable birding hotspot in China, renowned for its incredible diversity of parrotbills, fulvettas, laughingthrushes, and warblers. In addition to its rich birdlife, Wawu is currently one of the best places to search for Red Pandas in the wild. We will spend a full day exploring different elevations of the mountain in search of target species such as Temminck’s Tragopan, Himalayan Owl, Emei Shan Liocichla, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Ashy-throated Parrotbill, Grey-hooded Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Golden Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Three-toed Parrotbill, Brown Parrotbill, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Hwamei, Hodgson's Treecreeper, Sichuan Treecreeper, Sichuan Thrush, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Lesser Cuckoo, Himalayan Cuckoo, White-throated Needletail, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Sharpe's Rosefinch, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Red Crossbill, Rufous-vented Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Coal Tit, Spotted Bush Warbler, Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Ashy-throated Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Hume's Leaf Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Large-billed Leaf Warbler, Claudia's Leaf Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Buff-throated Warbler, Bianchi's Warbler, Martens's Warbler, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, White-browed Bush Robin, Golden Bush Robin, and many more.

Day 6: Wawu Mt. to Luding (5hrs, 1900-2800m).

This morning, we'll have a final chance to search for any key species we may still be missing before driving to Luding.

Day 7: Luding to Hailuogou (4hrs,1300-2800m).

We will spend the morning birding on Erlang Mountain, the first major highland along the national highway connecting Chengdu to Lhasa. Since the completion of the Erlang Mountain tunnel, the old mountain pass road has become a peaceful and productive route for birding. In the dense forest, we’ll search for several rare and sought-after species, including the elegant Lady Amherst's Pheasant, the dazzling Firethroat, and the endemic Rufous-tailed Babbler. Other target species may include Lesser Cuckoo, Southern Nutcracker, Yellow-browed Tit, Coal Tit, Cinereous Tit, Yellow-bellied Tit, Black-browed Bushtit, Yellow-streaked Warbler, Buff-throated Warbler, Grey-crowned Warbler, Martens's Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Kloss's Leaf Warbler, White-browed Fulvetta, Chestnut-flanked White-eye, Streak-breasted and Black-streaked Scimitar-Babblers, Chinese Babax, Black-faced and Barred Laughingthrushes, Chestnut and Chinese Thrushes, White-tailed and Golden Bush Robins, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, White-winged Grosbeak, Dark-rumped, Sharpe's, and Vinaceous Rosefinches, Yellow-throated Bunting, and Black-headed Greenfinch. After exploring the mountain, we’ll continue with a scenic four-hour drive to Hailuogou.

Day 8: Hailuogou (2800-3500m).

Hailuogou located at the transitional zone from Qinghai Tibet Plateau to Sichuan basin, it is covering 350 hectares at the east slope of Mount Gongga (7,556m, the highest mountain in Sichuan Province).. Hailuogou Glacier Park is the only glacier forest park within China. Preserving the precious modern marine time glacier at low altitude, being the largest scaled and most beautiful among those at the same latitude. We will spend one full day here at different elevation searching for the highlight birds like Temminck's Tragopan, Rufous-bellied Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Necklaced Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Fantail, Fire-capped Tit, Pere David's Tit, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Hodgson's Treecreeper, Sichuan Treecreeper, Himalayan Shortwing, Blue-fronted Robin, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Sapphire Flycatcher, etc.

Day 9: Hailuogou to Labahe (3.5hrs, 2800-1800m).

We will spend the golden morning hours birding in Hailuogou in search of our target species before continuing our drive to Labahe.

Day 10: Labahe (1800-2600m).

Nestled deep within the Hengduan Mountain range, Labahe is a vital wild panda habitat and one of the best places in China to search for the elusive Red Panda. Its mixed alpine forest and dense bamboo understory provide ideal conditions for this species, though spotting one still requires patience and persistence. Beyond its mammal highlights, Labahe is also an outstanding birding destination. We'll walk along paved roads, carefully scanning both sides and the surrounding rugged slopes for birdlife. Among the many species we may encounter are Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Brown Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Speckled Wood Pigeon, Yellow-browed Tit, Fire-capped Tit, Coal Tit, Père David's Tit, Black-browed Bushtit, Chestnut-crowned, Grey-sided, Brown, Aberrant, and Yellowish-bellied Bush Warblers, Ashy-throated Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Grey-hooded and Golden-breasted Fulvettas, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Rufous-gorgeted and Ferruginous Flycatchers, Golden Bush Robin, Brown Dipper, White-throated Dipper, Little Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, and Slaty Bunting.

Day 11: Labahe to Wolong (4.5hrs, 1800-1600m).

We will spend the morning in Labahe to search for any target species we may still need, then embark on a roughly four-and-a-half-hour drive to Wolong. At the lower elevations, we will bird for species such as Golden Pheasant, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Martens's Warbler, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, White-collared Yuhina, Chinese Babax, Chestnut Thrush, Verditer Flycatcher, Slaty Bunting, Yellow-throated Bunting, and more.

Day 12: Balang Mountain (1600-3800m).

We will spend the entire day birding at one of China’s most fascinating sites—Balang Mountain. As the first high peak rising between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Balang Mountain marks an important ethnic boundary and, due to its varied topography, supports a rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Our focus will be on alpine species such as Chinese Monal, White-eared Pheasant, Chestnut-throated Partridge, and Blood Pheasant, alongside other remarkable birds including Firethroat, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Himalayan Vulture, Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture)., Golden Eagle, Himalayan Buzzard, Red-billed Chough, Snow Pigeon, Chinese Fulvetta, Streaked Rosefinch, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Dark-rumped Rosefinch, Crimson-browed Finch, Common Rosefinch, Himalayan Beautiful Rosefinch, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, Kessler's Thrush (White-backed Thrush)., Sichuan Thrush, Grey-backed Shrike, Himalayan Bluetail, Rufous-vented Tit, Sichuan Tit, Asian House Martin, Alpine Leaf Warbler, Giant Laughingthrush, Collared Grosbeak, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Blue-fronted Redstart, and White-throated Redstart.

Day 13: Wolong to Maerkang (5.5hrs, 1600-4100-2700m).

We will spend the morning on Balang Mountain to continue searching for our target species. Afterwards, we’ll drive approximately four hours to Maerkang, birding along the way with chances to spot species such as Wallcreeper and Chinese Long-tailed Rosefinch.

Day 14: Mengbi Mt. (2700-4100m).

Mengbi Mountain, located between Xiaojin County and Maerkang, is another important birding site on this trip. Its significant elevation range, well-preserved virgin forest, abundant flowering plants, and low human disturbance have made it a true paradise for birds, including endemic species such as the Chestnut-throated Partridge (Verreaux's Partridge) and the rare Sichuan Jay.

In the early morning, we will drive to the mountain’s summit at 3,900 meters and then either walk or drive slowly down, searching for birds along the way. We will spend the entire day birding at various elevations, targeting endemic and fascinating species including White-eared Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Crested Tit-Warbler, Chinese Fulvetta, the range-restricted Crimson-browed Finch, Three-banded Rosefinch, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, Streaked Rosefinch, White-throated Needletail, Golden Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Himalayan Buzzard, Long-tailed Thrush, Przevalski's Nuthatch, Himalayan Bluetail, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, Goldcrest, Rufous-vented Tit, Grey-crested Tit, Hodgson’s Treecreeper, White-winged Grosbeak, Collared Grosbeak, Grey-headed Bullfinch, Maroon-backed Accentor, Hume's Warbler, Sichuan Leaf Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Red Crossbill, Plain Mountain Finch, Tibetan Serin, and more.

Day 15: Maerkang to Ruoergai (6hrs, 2700-3500m).

We will spend the morning in Maerkang to continue searching for our target species. Afterwards, we’ll embark on approximately a six-hour drive to Ruoergai, making several stops along the way to look for birds such as Ruddy Shelduck, Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Partridge, Upland Buzzard, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, White-browed Tit, Pink-tailed Rosefinch (Przevalski's Pinktail), Robin Accentor, Giant Grey Shrike, Azure-winged Magpie, Daurian Jackdaw, and more.

Day 16: Ruoergai (~3500m).

Ruoergai Marshlands, located in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, form the largest high-altitude marsh area in the world. Situated at around 3,500 meters above sea level, the marshes cover approximately 2,600 square kilometers.

We will spend the day exploring diverse habitats in search of birds. In the morning, we’ll focus on the mountain’s virgin forests at the edge of the plateau, which provide excellent habitat for forest species such as the rare Chinese Grouse, Blue Eared Pheasant, elusive Black Woodpecker, Chinese Nuthatch, Plain Laughingthrush (Père David's Laughingthrush), Elliot's Laughingthrush, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush (Sukatschev's Laughingthrush), Sichuan Tit, White-browed Tit Warbler, Crested Tit-Warbler, Dusky Warbler, and Slaty-backed Flycatcher.

In the afternoon, we will visit Flower Lake, where we typically enjoy better views of the elegant Black-necked Crane. We’ll walk slowly along the boardwalk, scanning for waterfowl and grassland birds such as Bar-headed Goose, Great Crested Grebe, Horned Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Tufted Duck, Northern Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Brown-cheeked Rail, Tibetan Sand Plover, Citrine Wagtail, Little Ringed Plover, White-rumped Snowfinch, Rufous-necked Snowfinch, Ground Tit, Tibetan Lark, Horned Lark, Oriental Skylark, Himalayan Vulture, Upland Buzzard, and Common Kestrel. Occasionally, more elusive species like Whooper Swan and Eurasian Bittern can be spotted at a distance.

We will also keep an eye out for plateau mammals such as the Plateau Pika, Himalayan Marmot, Tibetan Fox, and Hog Badger.

Day 17: Ruoergai to Chuanzhusi (2.5hrs, 3500-3000m).

This morning we will go to the forest to try our targets again before driving to Chuanzhusi.

Day 18: Chuanzhusi to Pingwu (3.5hrs, 3000-4000-850m).

Today, we will visit a nearby mountain to search for the endemic and rare Sichuan Wood Owl (Père David's Owl), as well as the elusive Tibetan Snowcock. We will also look for other species such as Grandala, Three-banded Rosefinch, Crested Tit-Warbler, White-browed Tit-Warbler, Goldcrest, Chinese Rubythroat, and more. After leaving Chuanzhusi, we will continue our drive toward Pingwu.

Day 19: Pingwu to Tangjiahe (3.5hrs, 850-1500m).

We will leave early to photograph the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey and look for birds such as Sichuan Bush Warbler, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, and others. Afterward, we will drive on to Tangjiahe. Upon passing through the nature reserve entrance, we will make several stops to search for birds and wildlife along the way to our hotel inside the reserve.

Day 20: Tangjiahe (~1500m).

Tangjiahe is one of China’s premier sites for spotting both mammals and birds. We will primarily explore the area during the early morning and late afternoon, when wildlife activity is at its peak. Expect to encounter fascinating bird species such as Golden Pheasant, Tawny Fish Owl, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Pacific Swift, Brown Dipper, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Mountain Bulbul, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Spectacled Fulvetta, Sooty Bushtit, Crested Kingfisher, Little Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Blue Rock Thrush, Zappey’s Flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, White-collared Yuhina, Slaty Bunting, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, and more.

Mammal sightings here are equally rewarding. We may be lucky enough to see a Takin cross the road right in front of us. Tibetan Macaques, the elusive Yellow-throated Marten, and Reeves’ Muntjac often wander along riversides, while the Chinese Goral is usually spotted on cliffs. Species such as Chinese Serow, Tufted Deer, and Asiatic Black Bear are more secretive and require greater effort and a bit of luck to observe.

Day 21: Tangjiahe to Chengdu (4.5hrs,1500-500m).

We will spend most of the day in Tangjiahe before driving back to the Chengdu airports in the afternoon.

Day 22: Departure from Chengdu (~500m).

Walking about 5 minutes to the airport on your own to catch your departing flight from Chengdu. This marks the end of Alpine Birding’s services.

Guide(s)

We will arrange one of our best local guides for this trip who has rich experience of guiding tours in this region. The following are some of our best local guides in and around this area.

Philip He

As a half Kangba Tibetan, Philip is the main founder of AlpineBirding and is a native of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He has a deep love for his Kangba Tibetan heritage and the land where he was born and raised. Philip's career has gone from mining technician to a teacher, then a translator, and finally to a guide and tour operator. As a professional working in this field for more than 20 years, Philip believes travel is an art and a process of sharing and discovery. Each trip is a unique artistic work created with knowledge and expertise based on the resources available and the interests and tastes of travelers. To help more people to gain a lifetime birding and traveling experience, he established AlpineBirding with the aim to bring his professional, fun-filled tours to more people who are eager to explore birds and other beautiful attractions in China.

Bella Zhang

Bella, the director of AlpineBirding, graduated from Sichuan Agricultural University with a Bachelor's Degree. She joined AlpineBirding in early 2016 and became the director of AlpineBirding in 2018. She was born and grew up in a Bai ethnic family in Yunnan Province which boasts of the largest number of bird species in China. Her interests toward birds started with her observation of a Long-tailed Minivet in her mom's garden at a very young age. As she grows up, the interests and love toward birds become stronger and stronger. Because of that, she found AlpineBirding before graduation and joined the company for further learning of birds. Bella has guided a number of birding trips in cooperation with AlpineBirding guide in the past years, her passion, readiness to help and detail-oriented attitude have won her lots of praise from our clients.

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Reports

We don't have a report available for this tour at this stage, please feel free to email us, we are more than happy to answer any of your questions and share the latest bird information with you.

Testimonials

: Thoroughly recommended to any nature tragics such as myself,

In mid-May 2025 I engaged Alpine Birding of Chengdu to guide me on a 14-day customised nature tour into the Himalayan mountains nearby.The cost of US$6000, tailored to my specific requests was on a par with similar offerings in the region.I never had a moment to regret my outlay.
Philip He of part Tibetan ancestry was my guide and driver and he displayed extreme competence and thoughtfulness in all aspects of the trip..Starting at the lower altitude Tangjiahe National Park and progressing in stages up to the almost 4000 metre Tibetan Plateau we catalogued a little over 100 bird species and 13 mammal species.Amongst the birds were my personal favourites,the Bearded Vulture and a flock of some 200 Grandala as well as 4 Pheasant species,Black- necked Cranes,and Bar-headed Geese.Without Philip's skill and local knowledge beautiful and elusive species such as White-browed Tit-warbler,Firethroat,and Przevalski's Pinktail would have gone unnoticed.Among the mammals was a herd of 20 Takin,Leopard Cat,Yellow throated Marten,and a group of truly wild Snub-nosed Monkeys.
Accommodation ranged from acceptable to high class depending on hat was available in these remote areas.Never once did I sense any skimping of expenditure. Thoroughly recommended to any nature tragics such as myself,

Benjamin / Sichuan May 25, 2025

: A superb Pheasant photography experience

Bella Zhang our guide knew exactly what I wanted and showed great initiative in rescheduling the original itinerary so that I could photograph the Golden Pheasants with a winter backdrop.
Overall Bella & Karen made my stay very comfortable and delivered, thank you , I will definitely use Alpinebirding again in my future birding trips to China.

Andrew T / Sichuan January 20, 2025

: Sichuan Province

I am a novice of Asian bird identification (I am only familiar with North American). I am bare-bones binoculars and bird book--no photography. I did a trek in Sichuan with Bella, Phillip, and another birder with camera equipment-- they were fantastic at accommodating our needs as well as being flexible with changeable birding conditions. Bella is crazy knowledgeable and passionate about all things birdies! I learned so much, and had a lovely and memorable experience. I would definitely do another trip with AlpineBirding!

Delia s / Sichuan February 07, 2023

: Excellent Birdwatching in Sichuan

Full disclosure at the start of this review of a Sichuan birdwatching tour with Alpinebirding in early 2023: This was already my fifth tour with them, so you might say I am biased toward them. On the other hand, I guess this also shows that I think of them very highly.
So, where did we (Philip and Bella of Alpinebirding, me, and a second guest, a lady from the US) go? To Longcanggou, Kangding, Wawushan, and Yibin in Sichuan – all places with interesting and special birds, if you know where to find them. Which without Bella’s knowledge would not have been the case for me.
In terms of species, highlights for me were the Gold-fronted and the Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant (despite the ridiculous name), several parrotbills (with a specific mention to the Fulvous Parrotbill), as well as a (decidedly non-avian) Red Panda.
A few random things I particularly enjoyed about traveling with Alpinebirding this time:
They are very flexible in their trip planning – whenever we realized a place was less interesting than originally thought (or simply too crowded), they suggested a good alternative and let us choose whether to go with it.
They added an extra day to the trip at no cost (which of course got me some additional birds).
Philip lent me his shorter lens when I needed it (an 800 mm lens can be a bit much for a Silver Pheasant or a Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, given how close we got to these birds).
They kept a rather good balance between the different interests of the two guests – sometimes by simply splitting up, with one of them taking care of the diligent photographer and one of the rather more spiritual traveler.
They sometimes even pretended to enjoy my rather bad jokes. Customer service at its best.
I think this is enough – I am afraid this review does not sound quite as gushingly positive as some of the others, but that is due to my character and nature (I am a rather negative person not prone to exuberant praise). So, if you are looking to see birds in China, Alpinebirding is probably your best choice, in my opinion.
P.S. All photos were taken on the trip described.

Kai P / Longcanggou, Kangding, Wawushan and Yibin in Sichuan February 06, 2023

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