7 Days Hainan Winter Birding Tour - Itinerary

Interested in this tour? Email us at abf2026@alpinebirding.com to learn more.

7 Days Hainan Winter Birding Tour

Hainan Island lies in the tropical zone of the South China Sea and covers approximately 34,000 square kilometers. Known for its warm climate and lush landscapes, the island is characterized by a mosaic of habitats, including lowland rainforests, montane forests, coastal wetlands, mangroves, and agricultural areas. The mountainous interior, particularly around Jianfengling, preserves some of the finest remaining tropical forests in China.

Hainan’s unique geography and long-term isolation from the mainland have given rise to a remarkable concentration of endemic wildlife. The island supports over 400 bird species, including a number of highly localized endemics. Often regarded as one of China’s top destinations for tropical birding, Hainan is home to specialties such as Hainan Partridge, Hainan Peacock-Pheasant, Hainan Leaf Warbler, and Hainan Blue Flycatcher, alongside a rich diversity of forest and wetland species.

This 7-day itinerary is designed to capture the essence of Hainan’s birdlife, combining the island’s premier rainforest reserve at Jianfengling with the productive coastal wetlands of western Hainan, including Danzhou Bay and Haiwei Wetland Park. The journey spans a wide range of habitats, maximizing both species diversity and observation opportunities. Set against a backdrop of tropical scenery, this journey offers a rich and immersive experience.

Tour Info Sheet

Highlight Birds	Hainan Partridge(Endemic species), Hainan Peacock-Pheasant(Endemic species), Blue-bearded Bee-eater(Endemic subspecies), Hainan Leaf Warbler(Endemic species), Spoon-billed Sandpiper, etc.
Species to Expected	120-150
Ease of Birding	Including some tricky species
Highlight Mammals	Hainan flying squirrel, Giant flying squirrel
Photography opportunities	Birding focused but with some good photography chances
Habitats Covered	Rainforest, wetland
Expected Climate	mostly comfortable, rain is possible
Physical Requirements	mostly easy, demanding but optional on certain parts
Accommodation	Most are comfortable; those in Jianfengling are more basic and slightly humid due to its remote location.
Transportation	vehicle

Gallery

Dates & Prices

Dates	Booking State	Price for ABF	Single Supplement	Group Size	Guide
Nov 30–Dec 6, 2026	Open for Booking	2,300 USD/pax 2,100 USD/pax	190 USD/pax	8-12	Local Guide

Dates

Booking State

Price for ABF

Single Supplement

Group Size

Guide

Nov 30–Dec 6, 2026

Open for Booking

2,300 USD/pax

2,100 USD/pax

190 USD/pax

8-12

Local Guide

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The cost includes the following:

1. Service of an English-speaking bird guide throughout the whole trip.

2. Private transportation throughout the trip, including airport pickup and drop-off at the airports.

3. Hotel stays from the first night to the last night, two people occupy one twin-bed room on a sharing basis at nice 3 or 4-star hotels in cities and local best guesthouses in remote areas.

4. Meals at local popular restaurants from dinner on the first day through breakfast on the last day. Picnic lunches when needed.

5. Simple western breakfast whenever possible.

6. All the entrance tickets for places listed in the itinerary include birding hides and shuttle buses.

7. Bottled water and snacks throughout the trip.

8. China domestic travel insurance.

9. Service of all logistic supports.

The cost does not include the following:

1. Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages during meals.

2. Extra charges are due to changes in the itinerary from the client side or factors beyond the control of AlpineBirding, such as natural disasters and governmental policy changes.

3. Discretionary tips to local guides and drivers.

4. All personal expenses, such as laundry service.

5. Airfare to the place where our trip starts and from the place where our trip ends.

6. Service fees and commission fees that are charged by banks and other third-party companies while making the trip payment to AlpineBirding’s banking and financial accounts.

7. Any program not listed in the itinerary.

Itinerary

Tour Map

Day 1: Arrival in Sanya,Hainan

Upon arrival at Sanya Airport, your private guide or driver meets you and transfers you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and prepare for the birding journey ahead.

Day 2: Sanya to Jianfengling

In the early morning, we explore coastal and wetland habitats around Sanya, searching for species such as White-browed Crake. Afterward, we drive to Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, one of Hainan’s premier rainforest birding destinations.

Day 3-4: Jianfengling

We spend two days birding in Jianfengling, trying to find birds, including Hainan Partridge (Endemic species), Hainan Peacock-Pheasant (Endemic species)，Silver Pheasant (Endemic subspecies) , Blue-bearded Bee-eater (Endemic subspecies), Spotted Dove (Endemic subspecies), Chinese Barbet (Endemic subspecies),Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Endemic subspecies), Lesser Yellownape (Endemic subspecies), Greater Yellownape (Endemic subspecies), Bay Woodpecker (Endemic subspecies), Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Endemic subspecies), Puff-throated Bulbul (Endemic subspecies), Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler (Endemic subspecies), Thick-billed Green Pigeon(Endemic subspecies), Barred Cuckoo Dove, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Greater Coucal, Green-billed Malkoha, Crested Serpent Eaglen (Endemic subspecies), Asian Barred Owlet(Endemic subspecies), Brown Wood Owl (Endemic subspecies), Red-headed Trogon (Endemic subspecies), Chinese Barbet, Silver-breasted Broadbill (Endemic subspecies), Scarlet Minivet (Endemic subspecies), Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler (Endemic subspecies), White-winged Magpie, Indochinese Green Magpie (Endemic subspecies), Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Sultan Tit, Hainan Leaf Warbler (Endemic species), Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush, Yellow-billed Nuthatch (Endemic species), Hainan Blue Flycatcher, etc.

Day 5: Jianfengling to Danzhou via Haiwei Wetland Park

After a morning of birding in Jianfengling, we continue our journey toward Danzhou. Along the way, we visit Haiwei Wetland Park in Changjiang, where we often find Lesser Whistling Duck, Grey-headed Swamphen, Purple Heron, and Black-winged Kite, etc.

Upon arrival in Danzhou, we conduct an evening outing, looking for King Quail,Oriental Bay Owl,Eastern Barn Owl,Eastern Grass Owl and other nocturnal wildlife.

Day 6: Danzhou

We spend a full day birding in Danzhou Bay, an important coastal wetland for wintering and migratory waterbirds. Possible species include Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Ashy Drongo (Endemic subspecies), Slaty-breasted Rail (Endemic subspecies of China), and Olive-backed Sunbird.

Day 7: Douhzou to Haikou, Departure from Haikou

This morning, we have another chance to search for our targets again. After birding, we drive to Haikou Airport. AlpineBirding services conclude.

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.

Shay Xie

Shay is among the first group of professional bird guides with the academic background of ornithology. He spent his childhood in a small county of Chongqing municipality where is the eastern edge of Daba mountains. Being brought up in a beautiful natural environment and surrounded by beautiful nature creatures, Shay has developed a strong interest in nature and birds since he was a small kid. Following the call from his inner heart, he chose to study ecology as his major when he was admitted to Sichuan University. The campus of Sichuan University itself is one of the most famous birding sites in Sichuan and he spent most of his afterschool time birding there. Since that time he started working as a part-time bird guide. After four years of academic study in the university and birding on the campus, he recorded many rare bird species including Blackthroat and Firethroat in Chengdu. Before he joined AlpineBirding, he worked as a professional freelancer bird guide and often participated in some special surveys on birds and mammals in southwestern China. These experiences form fields that have greatly enriched his knowledge of birds and nature. By now, he has successfully guided many avid birders from different countries including Norway, Britain, US, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Israel, etc. Now working as a full-time bird guide in AlpineBirding, Shay will do his best to create your best birding experiences in China with his experiences, knowledge and passion.

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.

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.

Alice Liu

Alice is an experienced bird and wildlife guide specializing in Southwestern China, particularly Yunnan Province. Her passion for nature began at a young age, sparked by a deep interest in mammals and mushrooms. In 2008, she expanded her fascination to the world of birds and has been an avid birdwatcher ever since.After graduating with a BSc in wildlife conservation from Southwest Forestry University, Alice worked for six years in a nature reserve in Yunnan. Her extensive fieldwork experience greatly enriched her knowledge of Yunnan’s avifauna.Beyond guiding, Alice is also the founder of a local nature education organization dedicated to connecting children with the natural world through immersive outdoor experiences.

Trip Details, Dates, Prices, etc.