Protected for centuries, the magnificent Tibetan Eared Pheasant can be remarkably tame at a quiet mountain nunnery outside of Lhasa. Photo: Paul Holt
China is a vast country, the third largest on earth, with a dazzling array of landscapes and environments. A good number of the nation’s 1,415 or so bird species are endemic or nearly endemic, and many are poorly known. This popular tour explores parts of the fantastic Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the “Roof of the World,” in search of the numerous ornithological delights of one of the world’s most isolated regions.
The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is effectively a high-altitude desert, home to an impressive array of charismatic species. While we won’t see any wild Yak and are extremely unlikely to encounter a Snow Leopard, the mammals we expect to see include Tibetn Gazelle, Tibetan Antelope, and Kiang (Tibetan Wild Ass). The birdlife should include majestic Black-necked Cranes, Pallas’s and possibly Tibetan Sandgrouse, the elusive Kessler’s Thrush, the stunningly patterned White-winged and possibly Ala Shan Redstarts, six species of snowfinch, numerous larks, engaging White-browed Tits, and the enigmatic Henderson’s Ground Jay. Our more than 20 trips to this region have never failed to find the enchanting Pink-tailed Bunting, an enigmatic species now assigned to a family of its own. Just off the Plateau, we’ll visit Huzhu Bei Shan, an area only recently opened to foreigners and one that harbors an impressive remnant of ancient forest thronged with Phylloscopus warblers, redstarts, and buntings, as well as many other regional specialties.
A special attraction on this tour is our overnight train to Lhasa, a journey that is rapidly becoming one of China’s “must-do” experiences. Our modern train offers very comfortable four-berth sleeping compartments and excellent food, and it takes us through some truly outstanding scenery right across the roof of the world.
Our ultimate goal is Lhasa, the Tibetan region’s historic capital, long isolated from the outside world. A visit to this remote city will be a thrilling climax to the tour, and we’ll take time to soak up the atmosphere of this place and experience some of the fabulous Buddhist culture for which it so famous. We would also expect to see Tibet’s three main ornithological attractions – Tibetan Eared Pheasant, Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush and Giant Babax among others.
Day 1: Participants should arrive in Beijing no later than this evening. Night in Beijing.
Day 2: We’ll connect with the group arriving this morning from London and transfer to a flight to Xining, the ancient capital of western China’s Qinghai Province. Time permitting, we’ll then drive to a hill overlooking the city where we’ll search for Daurian Partridge, Plain Laughingthrush, Hume’s Warbler, and Godlewski’s Bunting. Night in Xining.
Paul is beyond a doubt the best birder I have ever had the pleasure to tour with. Besides his incredibly pleasing personality, his ability to find the birds and to get me on them was extraordinary. The tour’s ground crew was top notch, extremely efficient and considerate. I truly cannot say enough about Ms. Wang and her staff: I know that China would not have been as wonderful without her in it. Please, don’t change a thing!
- Tess Williams
Days 3-4: Today we’ll drive to Huzhu Bei Shan, an impressive forested reserve on the border of Qinghai and Gansu provinces. One of the numerous birding stops en route will be near the summit of the Huzhu pass, where we’ll search the mountain slopes for Tibetan Snowcock and Rosy Pipit and the roadside bushes for White-browed Tit-warbler; we expect to arrive in the lower, forested sections of the sanctuary before lunch. Huzhu Beishan has only recently become accessible to foreigners, and we’ll be one of only a handful of groups to have visited this amazing site. Lush grassy pastures in the valley bottoms, conifer forests on the lower and middle slopes, and stands of gnarled junipers at higher elevations all support their unique avifauna. Conspicuous species here include Hodgson’s and White-throated Redstarts, but it is the more difficult species that are Huzhu’s primary attraction. Pheasants are high on everyone’s list of difficult birds to see, and there are several species here; Common (Ring-necked) Pheasant should not be too difficult, but Blue Eared and Blood Pheasants, Chinese Grouse, or Chestnut-throated Monal Partridge will require much more effort (and more than a bit of luck). Even in early August, the forests here abound with bird song, much of it from the many species of Phylloscopus warblers, nine of which, including the localized and recently described Gansu Leaf Warbler, make Huzhu their summer home. We’ll spend two days birding at Huzhu, returning each day to spend the night in Xining .
Day 5: Leaving Xining we’ll drive west, climb up onto the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, and head for spectacular Qinghai Hu (Lake Koko Nur) some 9,500 feet above sea level. Spending the next six days on the plateau, we’ll visit as many different habitats as our time permits. We’ll be seeing the rolling alpine grasslands at their very best, and the fields will be alive with the blossoms of buttercups, forget-me-nots, gentians, and poppies. Set all this against the backdrop of dramatic snow-capped peaks and Koko Nur (or “Blue Sea Lake,” as it’s known in both Chinese and Mongolian), and what better place could you imagine to go birding! Looking at the stunning pristine landscape, it will be difficult to believe that we’re still in the world’s most populous nation. On the shores of Lake Koko Nur, post-breeding Bar-headed Geese and both Pallas’s and Brown-headed Gulls will vie for our attention. We’ll also search for, and expect to see, the rare Black-necked Crane and possibly even the endangered Pallas’s Fish Eagle. In the neighboring grasslands, among the domesticated yaks and horses and scattered Tibetan tents, we should find species such as Tibetan and Mongolian Larks, six of the world’s eight species of snowfinch—Henri’s, Tibetan, White-rumped, Small, Rufous-necked, and Plain-backed—plus comical Hume’s Ground-Tits. We’ll spend this and the following night in a comfortable three-star hotel near Bird Island at the western end of this magnificent lake.
Day 6: Another full day at the western end of Koko Nur will give us ample time to search for more of the region’s specialties. Plateau Pikas are common throughout the grasslands and constitute an important food source for Saker Falcons and the often numerous Upland Buzzards. We’ll also expect to encounter numbers of migrant waterfowl and a few shorebirds, but the day’s primary targets will the gorgeous Ala Shan Redstart and the fabulous Pink-tailed Bunting, the latter a bizarre species recently assigned to its own family.
Day 7: We’ll continue west from Qinghai Hu, stopping to spend the morning in a ravine. It’s a moderately steep walk to the top, but we’ll move slowly, our steps perhaps enlivened by encounters with a Tibetan Partridge, Wallcreeper, Kessler’s Thrush, Blue-fronted Redstart, glistening gem-like White-browed Tit Warblers, Eurasian Eagle Owl, or Lammergeier. In the afternoon we’ll drive over a pass to Chaka, a bizarre area rich in mineral salt deposits and yet with tracts of intensive and surprisingly lush agriculture. As we approach town, we’ll be looking particularly for Pallas’s Sandgrouse and Mongolian Ground Jay. Two of our tours have been fortunate enough to encounter several parties of the enigmatic Tibetan Sandgrouse here. Night in Chaka.
Day 8: We’ll leave early for a dry wash east of Chaka where, in the early morning light, we’ll look for Rusty-necklaced (Przevalski’s) Partridge, Pallas’s Sandgrouse, Desert Wheatear, and Mongolian Finch. In the afternoon we’ll head back east before turning south to Gonghe, where we’ll spend the following two nights.
Day 9: Traveling south of Gonghe, we’ll face the most strenuous day of the tour. Our destination will be the Ela Pass, which at a mighty 14,700 feet is easily the highest road pass on the tour. The pass is a regular site for White-winged Redstart and both Plain and Brandt’s Mountain Finches. Moreover, the Ela Pass is one of only a handful of reliable sites for the little-known Tibetan Rosefinch. As well as pottering around the road, if weather permits we plan to walk another 900 feet up to the summit of one of the nearby mountains. Tibetan Snowcocks breed here but are elusive, as is our primary quarry, Tibetan Sandgrouse. These beautiful birds are incredibly shy and retiring, and much of the day will be spent slowly exploring the mountainside in our quest to see the sandgrouse before returning to Gonghe for the night.
Day 10: Time permitting we’ll have a final morning searching for such difficult species as Rusty-necklaced Partridge and Mongolian Finch around Gonghe. We’ll then head back to Xining, where we’ll embark on one of those journeys most people only dream of: the overnight train to Lhasa, the heart and soul of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Day 11: This incredible train trip is rapidly becoming one of China’s “must-do” tourist attractions. Following the highest railroad in the world, our modern train, which offers comfortable sleeping accommodations and decent food, will take us through some truly outstanding scenery right across the “Roof of the World.” The comfort of the train and the chance to just sit back and watch this remote wilderness unfold before us should combine to make this leisurely long journey a highlight of the tour. We’ll cross high plateaus and travel through ice tunnels before reaching the heart of the Himalayas and Tibet. On previous tours we’ve seen Saker Falcon, Lammergeier, Ibisbill, and three species of snowfinch from the train, as well as Kiang (Tibetan Wild Ass), Tibetan Fox, Tibetan Gazelle, and the increasingly rare Tibetan Antelope.
We’ll expect to arrive in Lhasa in the early evening.
Days 12-13: Today we’ll begin our exploration of this fascinating region. Surely one of the planet’s most charismatic cities, Lhasa is the focal point and spiritual heart of this deeply religious region. Buddhism permeates all facets of Tibetan daily life, and the name Lhasa means “God’s Land,” “Place of the Deity,” in Tibetan. We’re sure to be impressed by all that this city has to offer: in spite of a strong modernizing Chinese influence, Lhasa retains its Old World charm. Now a sprawling city of nearly a quarter million, Lhasa is a popular pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from around the world, and the city continues to enchant even the most world-weary of travelers.
Spending two full days around Lhasa will let us combine the best of both worlds, with one day devoted to sightseeing and the other to birding. There’s plenty to do and see in Lhasa City, the “holy grail” of Asian explorers, and we plan to visit Barkhor Square and the neighboring Jokhang Temple, right in the heart of the old Tibetan quarter. We’ll also plan to visit the former residence of various Dalai Lamas, the seventeenth-century Potala, a vast white and ochre fortress soaring over the flat valley to dominate the city’s skyline.
On our other day, we’ll venture about two hours out of the city to a quiet mountain nunnery, where many of the area’s birds, protected for centuries, have become remarkably tame. The main species we’ll be looking for is the magnificent Tibetan Eared Pheasant; they roam widely, but their harsh, husky barking cries should give them away. Other species here include Tibetan Partridge, Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush, Tibetan Blackbird, Giant Babax, and Streaked and Pink-rumped Rosefinches; we also we have another chance of encountering Tibetan Snowcock.
Day 14: Today we’ll fly from Lhasa back to Beijing, where we’ll spend the night.
Day 15: The tour concludes this morning in Beijing.
Updated: 29 September 2011
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $7,200*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $1,030
Notes
This tour is limited to 10 participants.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.