Southwest China Birding Tour - 17 Days

Meet the local guide after arrival in Sanya and transfer to Jianfengling National Forest Park. Spend the night in the park guesthouse.

Use the hides and forest trails at Jianfengling for Hainan Peacock-Pheasant, Hainan Partridge, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Chinese Barbet, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Hainan Leaf Warbler and the Hainan form of Swinhoe’s Laughingthrush. The island forms of Plain Flowerpecker, Fork-tailed Sunbird, White-winged Magpie, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Chinese Bulbul and Silver Pheasant broaden the search alongside Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush.

Return to Jianfengling’s hides and surrounding forest for another opportunity with the island endemics and endemic subspecies. The repeated day allows the route to respond to activity around the best current birding area.

Travel back to Sanya, fly to Nanning in Guangxi and continue by road to Nonggang. The transfer includes an attempt to see White-headed Langur.

Explore Nonggang’s karst forest for its namesake Nonggang Babbler. Buff-breasted Babbler and Streaked Wren-Babbler join David’s Fulvetta, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Limestone Leaf Warbler, Black-throated Laughingthrush, White-winged Magpie, Indochinese Green-Magpie and Blue-rumped Pitta on the wider search list.

Spend a second day in Nonggang, using local conditions to revisit the strongest habitat for its babbler, pitta, magpies, laughingthrush and limestone-forest warblers.

Return to Nanning for the air journey toward Tengchong, transferring via Kunming. Overnight in Tengchong.

Begin the western Yunnan section around Yingjiang, Hornbill Valley, Hongbenghe and Shiti Village. Collared and Burmese Mynas and Collared Treepie share the route with several laughingthrushes and scimitar babblers, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, White-hooded Babbler, Rusty-naped and Blue-naped Pittas, White-cheeked Partridge and Grey Peacock-Pheasant.

Continue through the same western Yunnan network, watching for Kalij Pheasant, Common Green-Magpie and Naung Mung Scimitar Babbler. Drongos, sunbirds, barbets, sibias, forktails, flycatchers and Dark-sided, Long-billed and Himalayan Thrushes add variety.

Use a third day to adjust among Yingjiang, Hornbill Valley, Hongbenghe and Shiti Village according to recent activity. Red-tailed, Grey-sided and Spot-breasted Laughingthrushes remain part of the search with the pittas, partridges and babblers.

Complete the western Yunnan birding block, then make the gradual return toward Tengchong and spend the night there.

Check open ground in the morning for Brown-winged Parrotbill, then inspect a nearby river where River Lapwing, Long-billed Plover and Ibisbill are the interests. Continue in the afternoon to Baihualing and stay at a guesthouse in the Gaoligong Mountains.

Work Baihualing’s hides and nearby forest. Scarlet Finch and Mrs Gould’s Sunbird may occur with Maroon-backed Accentor, Golden Bush Robin, various fulvettas, thrushes, tesias, sibias and laughingthrushes. Golden-throated Barbet, Scarlet-faced Liocichla, Cachar Wedge-billed Babbler and Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler join three pheasants and Rufous-throated, Hill and Mountain Bamboo Partridges on the broader list.

Return to the Baihualing hides for a second full opportunity with the Gaoligong forest community. The day can be directed toward species missed during the first session rather than following a rigid hide order.

Drive approximately 520 kilometres north toward Lijiang, a journey of about seven hours. Near Lijiang, visit pine forest for Yunnan Nuthatch, Eye-ringed Parrotbill, Rufous-tailed Babbler, Black-bibbed Tit and Black-browed Bushtit. Continue to Liju village and stay in a homestay hotel.

Enter a remote valley for Biet’s, Black-faced, Moustached, Spotted and Elliot’s Laughingthrushes. Manipur, White-browed and Spectacled Fulvettas are sought with Brown-breasted Bulbul, Crested Finchbill and Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler. Return toward Lijiang in the afternoon and visit La Shi Hai, where Black-necked Crane is possible.

Shape the final morning around the flight time. When the schedule permits, bird the Ten-Thousand-Mu Rhododendron Garden before transferring to Lijiang Airport.