Explore the "Kingdom of Plants and Animals" for Pheasants, Laughingthrushes, and Tropical Specials.
Located in southwestern China, Yunnan Province has recorded over 940 bird species including around 40 endemic species, ranking first in China in terms of total bird species. Boasting of many different landforms including mountains, lakes, plateaus, wetlands, and plains, Yunnan Province has different habitats and climate conditions for different bird species. The special location, favorable climate conditions, and the diverse habitat have made this province an important wintering site for migrant birds.
This itinerary covers the most prestigious birding sites of Yunnan Province including the Gaoligong Mountains (Baihualing), Yingjiang, Ruili, Nabang, etc. where hold a great diversity of pheasants, laughingthrushes, babblers, parrotbills and hornbills. We can expect some extraordinary species like White-cheeked Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Grey Peacock Pheasant, Grey-headed Swamphen, Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Long-tailed Broadbill, etc.
Tour Info Sheet
| Highlight Birds | Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Grey Peacock Pheasant, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, White-cheeked Partridge, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Alexandrine Parakeet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Broad-billed Warbler, Crested Treeswift, Bay Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Red-tailed Minla, Scarlet Finch, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Beautiful Sibia, Long-tailed Sibia, Large Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Golden Bush Robin, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, Green-tailed Sunbird, Dark-sided Thrush,Grey-winged Blackbird, Long-tailed Thrush, Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Streaked Wren Babbler, Grey-bellied Tesia, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Yunnan Nuthatch, Giant Nuthatch, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, White-browed Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Yunnan Fulvetta, etc. |
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| Numbers of Species to Expect | 250-300 |
| Ease of Birding | mostly easy with a few tricky species |
| Other Attractions | colorful minority culture of Yi, Bai, Hui, Dai, etc. |
| Photography Opportunities | birding focused but with very good photography chances |
| Habitats Covered | tropical and subtropical forests, woodlands |
| Expected Climate | very comfortable, cool in the morning, warm in the south part |
| Physical Requirements | mostly easy, demanding but optional in certain parts |
| Accommodation | very comfortable |
| Transportation | 19-seat van |
What makes this trip irreplaceable?
1. The combination of our experienced western guides and local guides ensures your needs are well met.
2. We run the trip in the best season. In wintertime, birds move to lower altitudes and tend to stay as flocks.
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 bus versus a big bus required for bigger groups.
4. This trip covers the most popular and classic birding sites in Yunnan including the world-famous Gaoligong Mountains.
5. We have been a reliable local partner for some prestigious western birding and wildlife travel companies for over a decade.
6. We have a strong logistic team to ensure your trip goes smoothly and ensures you a comfortable and enjoyable journey.
Dates & Prices
| Dates | Booking Status | Price | Single Supplement | Group Size | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 3-16, 2024 | Space Available | 5,160USD/pax 4,900USD/pax | 450USD/pax | 8 | Peter Roberts & Bella Zhang |
Slide the sheet to the left to see the full sheet if you are viewing it on your phone or tablet.
The cost includes the following:
1. Private transportation throughout the trip, including airport pick-up at Kunming International Airport and drop-off at Mangshi Airport.
2. All meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 16.
3. All the entrance tickets for places listed in the itinerary including cable cars and shuttle buses.
4. Hotel stays from the first day to the last day, two clients occupy one twin-bed room on a sharing basis at nice 3 or 4 star hotels in big cities and local best guesthouses in remote areas.
5. Bottled water and snacks throughout the trip.
6. Simple western breakfast whenever possible.
7. Service charges of a professional western bird guide and experienced local bird guide throughout the whole trip.
8. China domestic travel insurance.
9. Service of all logistic supports.
The cost does not include the following:
a. Drinks during meals.
b. Extra charges due to change of itinerary from the client's side or factors beyond the control of AlpineBirding such as natural disasters or government policy changes.
c. Discretionary tips to guides and drivers.
d. All personal expenses such as laundry service.
e. ANY AIRFARE except those stated in the itinerary.
f. Any program not listed in the itinerary.
Itinerary
Tour Map
Day 1: Arrival in Kunming, China.
Our trip starts in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Upon arrival at Kunming Changshui International Airport, you will be met by your AlpineBirding guide or driver and get transferred to the hotel. For early arrivals, we will visit a city park nearby for a relaxing birding. Or you can take a rest at the hotel. At the welcome dinner, you will get to know the rest of the crew and have the first chance to savor Yunnan dishes together.
Day 2: Kunming to Zixi Mountain Forest Park via Kunming Botanical Garden.
We will spend the morning exploring the famous Kunming Botanical Garden, the diverse plants inside the gigantic garden provide good habitats for different wintering and resident birds including Red-tailed Minla, Blue-winged Minla, Red-billed Leiothrix, Japanese White-eye, Black-breasted Thrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Black-headed Greenfinch, Crested Finchbill, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Long-tailed Shrike, and Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler. After the exploration, we will drive on to the Zixi Mountain Forest Park in Chuxiong. Upon arrival at our lovely guesthouse inside the park, we will start our birding around the guesthouse.
Day 3: Zixi Mountain Forest Park to Dali.
Covering about 16,000 hectares in land size, Zixi Mountain is the largest natural park of Yunnan Province, the forest coverage is as high as 91%. The park is dominated by evergreen forests and Yunnan pine forests which provide an ideal habitat for many nuthatches, as well as some specials of southwestern China. Over 150 bird species have been recorded here, the most attractive targets here are the endemic Yunnan Nuthatch and the rare Giant Nuthatch. Other species we will have a good chance of seeing including the stunning Mrs. Hume's Pheasant and Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, as well as Speckled Piculet, Gray-capped Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Minivet, Gray-chinned Minivet, Blyth's Shrike Babbler, White-throated Fantail, Yellow-bellied Fairy Fantail, Ashy-throated Warbler, Buff-barred Warbler, Black-faced Warbler, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler, Chinese Thrush, Himalayan Bluetail, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul, Ashy Drongo, Spectacled Fulvetta, Yunnan Fulvetta. Sometimes, the shy Mountain Tailorbird can be spotted in the lush mixed broadleaf-conifer forest.
We will drive on to Dali in the afternoon. Dali is most famous for the huge lake named Erhai and the grand Cangshan Mountain standing by the western side of the lake. If time permits, we will go to Erhai to look for some waterfowls like Purple Swamphen (Grey-headed Swamphen).
Day 4: Dali to Gaoligong Mountains via Cangshan Mountains.
For birders, Mt. Cangshan is very attractive for its rich forest bird species of low and middle elevations. According to statistics, over 200 bird species have been recorded here. In the early morning, we will drive along a paved mountain road up to the higher part of the mountain and start our morning search for the star bird Lady Amherst's Pheasant from there. Then we will slowly walk down the winding road to search for other specials including Spotted Nutcracker, Black-browed Tit, White-browed Fulvetta, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Yunnan Fulvetta, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Rufous-capped Babbler, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Spotted Laughingthrush, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Yellow-throated Bunting. With a good amount of work, we also have chances to see Rufous-tailed Babbler and Bar-winged Wren Babbler. In the afternoon, we will complete a 4.5-hour journey to the Gaoligong Mountains.
Day 5-6: Gaoligong Mountains (Baihualing area).
Located on the western side of Yunnan Province, the Gaoligong belongs to the south end of Hengduan Mountain Ranges, the elevation changes sharply from 650 meters at the bottom to 5,128 meters at the peak. As a result of its 7 complete vegetation types, Gaoligong Mountains have been rated as one of 36 hot spots for biodiversity by Conservation International. So far, around 525 bird species have been recorded here, accounting for 43.3% of the total in Yunnan Province, in which around 40 are endangered bird species under national protection.
Winter is the best birding season in Yunnan, as most birds move to lower altitude where is warmer and has more food available. Besides, birds tend to stay as flacks in winter which gives us more opportunities to see them.
We will spend two days here searching for birds in different habitats. Some species tend to feed on the ground such as Silver Pheasant, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Grey-winged Blackbird, Long-tailed Thrush, Wedge-billed Wren Babbler, Grey-bellied Tesia, Slaty-bellied Tesia, Chestnut-headed Tesia, etc.
While during our exploration in the dense virgin forests, we will look for Himalayan Cutia, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Great Barbet, Golden-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Broad-billed Warbler, Bay Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Red-tailed Minla, Scarlet Finch, Grey-headed Parrotbill, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, Whiskered Yuhina, Rufous-vented Yuhina, Striated Bulbul, Flavescent Bulbul, Beautiful Sibia, Long-tailed Sibia, Large Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Golden Bush Robin, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Short-billed Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Yellow-cheeked Tit, etc. In addition, we can also see some beautiful sunbirds including Fire-tailed Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Mrs. Gould's Sunbird, Green-tailed Sunbird, etc.
There are a lot of bird hides built in Gaoligong thanks to the fast development of bird watching and bird photography. For people who prefer to enjoy a good number of species more easily, those bird hides are the best places to achieve this goal.
Day 7: Gaoligong Mountains to Tengchong.
We will spend some time birding on the mountain foot area below our guesthouse before we drive on to Tengchong. Along the way. We can stop in another important park in the Gaoligong Mountains, the Gaoligong National Park. After spending a couple of hours birding in this park, we drive on to Tengchong which is famous for its mild climate, ancient volcanoes, and geothermal springs.
Day 8: Tengchong to Nabang via Laifengshan Mountain.
In the morning, we drive to Laifengshan Mountain, which is the largest park in the city to continue our birding. We will look for birds like Silver Pheasant, Black-breasted Thrush, Brown-winged Parrotbill, and Slender-billed Oriole, Maroon Oriole. After an easy birding in the park, we head on to Nabang, a small border town between Myanmar and China.
Day 9: Nabang and nearby area.
Some very special restricted-range species inhabit this small border town of Nabang, especially in the Nabang Wetlands and Xima Ancient Silk Road. We will spend the whole day searching for low-elevation birds in different habitats. While in Nabang Wetlands, we will focus on Indian Spot-billed Duck, Greater Coucal, Crested Treeswift, Asian Palm Swift, White-breasted Waterhen, River Lapwing, Grey-headed Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Chinese Pond Heron, Striated Heron, White-throated Kingfisher, Crested Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Green Bee-eater, Ashy Woodswallow, Striated Grassbird, Wire-tailed Swallow, Asian Pied Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Red-billed Starling, Vinous-breasted Starling, Collared Myna, Great Myna, Pied Bushchat, Scaly-breasted Munia, etc.
We will spend some time in the dense forest where the Xima Ancient Silk Road is hidden. We will walk to the famous gigantic banyan tree spot and look for some low-elevation specials including Wreathed Hornbill, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black Eagle, Crested Goshawk, Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Green-billed Malkoha, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Lesser Yellownape, Greater Yellownape, Bay Woodpecker, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, White-browed Piculet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Bronzed Drongo, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Collared Treepie, Ashy Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Rufous-faced Warbler, Pin-striped Tit Babbler, White-hooded Babbler, Puff-throated Babbler, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, White-crested Laughingthrush, Golden-fronted Leafbird, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Hill Blue Flycatcher, etc.
Day 10: Nabang to Yingjiang via Tongbiguan.
Before we head to Yingjiang. We will first drive to Tongbiguan for birding this morning. Tongbiguan is another important spot for forest birds in Nabang. Here, we can expect birds including Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike, Burmese Shrike, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Golden Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Plain Flowerpecker, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, etc.
Day 11-12: Yingjiang area.
Located at the end of the southwest, Yingjiang is a county that also borders Myanmar. With opulent sunshine, flourishing virgin forests, and various habitats, over 680 kinds of birds have been recorded here, which count around 50% of the birds of China. That's what makes YingJiang one of the unmissable birding destinations in China. During our two-day exploration, we will mainly focus on the Dayingjiang River and the Hornbill Valley. In the reed marshes and benchlands of the Dayingjiang River, we will get to see some very special species. Among them, we may seek out several River Terns although it can be difficult as there are only around 10 terns visit this area every winter. Other species we hope to encounter including Indian Spot-billed Duck, Small Pratincole, River Lapwing, Little Ringed Plover, Temminck's Stint, Coppersmith Barbet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Red-breasted Parakeet, Blossom-headed Parakeet, Striated Grassbird, Rufescent Prinia, Grey-breasted Prinia, Grey-throated Martin, Asian Barred Owlet, Dusky Warbler, Collared Myna, Great Myna, Citrine Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit, Little Bunting, etc.
We will spend at least a day in the Hornbill Valley, an up-and-coming birding site that is renowned for the best place to see hornbills in China, in addition to a big variety of pheasants, laughingthrushes, flycatchers. We will slowly explore the forest in search of birds including Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied-Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Grey Peacock Pheasant, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, White-cheeked Partridge, Green-billed Malkoha, Crested Serpent Eagle, Jerdon's Baza, Collared Scops Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Brown Boobook, Red-headed Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Blue-eared Barbet, Greater Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Collared Falconet, Oriental Hobby, Long-tailed Broadbill, Blue-naped Pitta, Black-hooded Oriole, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Collared Treepie, Sultan Tit, Striated Swallow, Black-crested Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Pin-striped Tit Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Large Scimitar Babbler, Spot-throated Babbler, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush, Streaked Wren Babbler, Nepal Fulvetta, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, White-rumped Shama, White-tailed Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing, Blue-winged Leafbird, etc. Here, the "bird hide" is also optional to increase our chances.
Day 13: Yingjiang to Ruili.
We will continue our exploration in Yingjiang this morning, then we drive on to Ruili, the last birding destination on this trip.
Day 14-15: Ruili area (Nanjingli & Moli Tropical Forest).
Ruili is one of these few places in China where has a relatively intact tropical rainforest system, thus, Ruili is renowned for being one of the best places to see tropical birds in China. We will focus our final birding time on two places, Nanjingli, and Moli Tropical Forest. In the lush bamboo bush and dense forest of Nanjingli, we will mainly look for Grey-headed Parrotbill, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Golden Babbler, Rufous-backed Sibia, White-browed Piculet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black-eared Shrike Babbler, Mountain Tailorbird, Spot-winged Grosbeak, etc.
When birding in Moli Tropical Forest, we will focus on searching for Mountain Hawk Eagle, Streaked Wren Babbler, Dark-sided Thrush, Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Red-headed Trogon, Coppersmith Barbet, Rosy Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Common Iora, Grey-bellied Tesia, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Rufous-backed Sibia, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Little Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Black-backed Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spotted Forktail, etc.
We will drive about 2 hours to Mangshi to stay the night in the afternoon of the 15th day.
Day 16: Departure from Mangshi.
After breakfast at our hotel, we drive to Mangshi Airport to catch the flight. Depart from Mangshi, AlpineBirding service ends.
Guide(s)
Peter Roberts
Peter is based in Britain and lives on the Scottish island of Islay. A keen naturalist since childhood in London, birds are his main passion, but whale-watching, African big game, snorkeling and insects are all areas of further interest. A life of wildlife-related work has included nature reserve management, teaching wildlife field courses, ornithological survey and research, environmental consultancy and managing bird-ringing observatories and the Aldabra Research Station in the Indian Ocean. Peter has an MSc in woodland invertebrate ecology and published research on various subjects from feeding ecology of fruit bats to bird migration, identification, and behaviour through to ecology of seabirds and Red-billed Choughs. He has lead and arranged over 300 birding and wildlife tours over the past 40 years, finding over 6,500 bird species in over 100 countries worldwide from Antarctica to the Arctic and to all seven continents, working with many of the major specialist tour companies in the UK and USA as well as many personally arranged tours for clients.
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.
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
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Several Very Good Weekend Trips in Sichuan and Yunnan
My wife and I are serious birders from the US. During 2018, we lived in Thailand for a work assignment, and had the opportunity to do several weekend trips up to China to go birding with Alpine.We had successful and memorable outings in Zixishan (Yunnan), as well as Balangshan and Longcanggou (Sichuan), picking up specialties such as Alpine Accentor, Lammergeier, Black-headed Mountain-Finch, Blood Pheasant, Dark-breasted Rosefinch, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Giant Laughingthrush, Golden Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Snow Partridge, Snow Pigeon, Tibetan Snowcock, Verreaux's Partridge, White Eared-Pheasant, White-capped Redstart, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Golden-breasted Fulvetta, Gray-faced Liocichla, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Temminck's Tragopan, Bar-tailed Treecreeper, Godlewski's Bunting, and Yunnan Nuthatch, in addition to many others.Even without the birds, Balangshan has the most inspiring mountain vistas we've ever seen.Bella and her team arranged for comfortable transportation, lodging, and very experienced guides. But the best additional benefit was the food - our guides always took us out for the best local lunches and dinners - it will be very difficult to return home and have Sichuan food now, knowing how it pales in comparison to the real Chinese food in China...Bella and Alpine were also very responsive and attentive to our overall satisfaction, and when we suggested some things that could be improved, they were happy to accommodate us. It was much appreciated.We recommend Alpine Birding as a great way to see some of the most incredible birds found only in one of the most beautiful regions of Asia.
Claire and Michael / Southwest China (Sichuan & Yunnan) May 29, 2018
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Dear Philip, lily and Jiawei,
We are all noww safeyl back home and Ihave had time to produce my trip reoprt for the wonderful bird tour that you arranged for us. I attach the docuemtns here for your interest - you may use them and adapt them any way you wish if you need to.
It was a great experience seeing China - the birds, travel, culture, sceerny with you. You did an absoluteyl first rate job in all respects - some of the best service and professional arrqngements and leading of a tour in my 40+ years of experience worldwide to 100 countries and over 300 tours organised and led.
Thank you all - I will certainly promote your services to my friends and colleagues and hope your business prospers as it deserves. If I can be of any help do let me know.Peter & Pia / Southwest China (Yunnan) December 27, 2013
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2005 Winter Birding Trip to Yunnan, ChinaI had a wonderful time birding in Yunnan with Philip He and Parus Yang from Alpine Birding Tour.They are so professional and helpful. They did their best to arrange comfortable accommodation and food. We did birding to sites of Mountains, hills, lakes, and farmlands in Yunnan. Parus Yang, a young man with an ornithological degree, is a very knowledgeable bird guide with sharp eyes and ears.I've observed total 235 species and 97 lifers. It's really fruitful and enjoyable.I look forward to joining their next birding tour.
Victor Yu / Southwest China (Yunnan) January 12, 2005
