Classic Southeast China Winter Birding Tour - 15 Days

Arrive on an international flight into Shanghai and meet the guide for pickup. The arrival time determines the rest of the day and the hotel: remain in Shanghai or make the approximately four-hour transfer to Yancheng.

Travel about three and a half hours from Shanghai to Yancheng. Stops at small lakes and ponds may add wintering ducks before an afternoon birding session; spend the night in Yancheng.

Use a full day around Yancheng for Red-crowned Crane, Oriental Stork, reed parrotbills and Pallas’s Reed Bunting, with winter thrushes and other buntings also possible. Return to the same Yancheng hotel.

Open with another local birding session. The next leg returns to Shanghai Airport for the flight south to Fuzhou, where the group stays overnight.

Explore Fuzhou National Forest Park for forest birds such as Fork-tailed Sunbird, Silver Pheasant, Red-billed Liothrix, White-necklaced Partridge, Rufous-faced Warbler and both Grey-sided and Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers. Continue approximately four and a half hours to Sanming and stay nearby.

Spend the morning around Sanming, where possibilities include Blyth’s Kingfisher, Bay Woodpecker, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Huet’s and Dusky Fulvettas, Rufous-capped Babbler, Chinese and Great Barbets, and both White-crowned and Slaty-backed Forktails. Transfer to Emeifeng during the afternoon.

Bird Emeifeng Nature Reserve for Cabot’s Tragopan, Elliot’s and Silver Pheasants, Koklass Pheasant and Chinese Bamboo Partridge. The wider forest community can include Indo-Chinese Yuhina, Moustached and Buffy Laughingthrushes, Sultan Tit, Yellow-cheeked Tit and mountain bulbuls.

Return to Emeifeng early for another opportunity with its pheasants and forest flock species. In the afternoon, begin the long transfer of roughly six hours to Wuyuan.

Focus on Wuyuan and its surrounding habitats. Pied Falconet and Short-tailed Parrotbill are among the principal interests, alongside Chinese Hwamei, Grey-backed Thrush and Tristram’s, Yellow-browed and Black-faced Buntings. Overnight in Wuyuan.

After a final morning session around Wuyuan, continue to the Poyang Lake region for three days. Possibilities include White-browed Laughingthrush, Brown Crake and Swan Goose. The southeast, west and north of the lake may all be used, with accommodation selected near the best current crane, stork and waterbird concentrations.

Work the western side of Poyang Lake for Siberian, White-naped, Common and Hooded Cranes. The wetland assemblage may also include Oriental Stork, Baer’s Pochard, Baikal Teal, Swan Goose, both Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese, Greater and Lesser White-fronted Geese, Chinese Penduline Tit, Marsh Grassbird and Chinese Grey Shrike. Overnight in Wucheng.

Visit satellite wetlands on the northern side of Poyang Lake. Search again for the four crane species and Oriental Stork, together with Baer’s Pochard, Baikal Teal, Swan and bean geese, both white-fronted geese, Chinese Penduline Tit, Marsh Grassbird and Chinese Grey Shrike. Spend the night in Jiujiang.

Drive onward to Dongzhai Nature Reserve. Arrive during the afternoon for an initial birding session, then stay in a guesthouse near the reserve.

Devote the day to Dongzhai, with Reeve’s Pheasant and Crested Ibis among the main interests. Other possibilities include Collared Crow, Crested Kingfisher, Silver-throated and Yellow-bellied Tits, plus Rustic and Yellow-browed Buntings. Return to the same accommodation.

Fit in a final morning birding session before departure. Xinyang and its XAI airport are about one hour away; Wuhan and WUH airport require an approximately two-and-a-half-hour transfer.