The charming Red Panda is just one of the fascinating creatures we’ll see in Sichuan’s richly endowed forests. Photo: Paul Holt
Right in the heart of the Middle Kingdom, Sichuan Province reaches from the subtropical lowlands of the Red Basin and evergreen foothill forest to alpine meadows and dramatic snow-capped peaks. This is a fabulously bird-rich region, home to some two thirds of China’s endemic birds and the majority of its Giant Pandas. On this exciting trip to the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, we’ll concentrate on seeing the endemic and near-endemic species, as well as sampling the cuisine, the hospitality, and the dramatic scenery for which this region is justly famous. Although the wild mountainous terrain and torrential rivers have combined to keep the province isolated until relatively recently, today the rich diversity of habitats and a well-developed tourist infrastructure make Sichuan a supremely appealing destination for traveling birders.
Each of the numerous sites we’ll be visiting is different, with its own brand of charm and its own special birdlife. We’ll start our explorations on magnificent Wawu Shan Mountain, a mighty peak that rises abruptly out of the Red Basin. Next we’ll visit sacred Emei Shan mountain before moving north towards Siguniangshan and Wolong National Park, famed as the home of China’s few remaining Giant Pandas and a haven for a wide variety of spectacular birds.
Next we’ll venture into the rolling grasslands of the extreme eastern Tibetan Plateau, where we’ll search for such specialties as Black-necked Crane and Rufous-necked Snowfinch. Then we’ll descend to the dramatic alpine scenery of Jiuzhaigou National Park, with turquoise lakes and waterfalls that have to be seen to be believed. There’s no doubt that Sichuan is the very best of China!
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Chengdu.
Day 2: We’ll set off mid-day across the Red Basin to Wawu Shan, the first of our main birding sites. Night on Wawu Shan.
Days 3-5: Wawu Shan, literally “Roof Tile Mountain,” is an isolated 10,000-foot peak on the edge of the Red Basin to the west of the more famous Emei Shan. Wawu Shan is possessed of an equally rich avifauna, but has only recently become popular among birders. We’ll explore several different habitats here, from deciduous forest on the lower slopes to stands of bamboo and mixed coniferous-rhododendron forest on the plateau-like summit.
There are some superb birds here, and we’ll concentrate on finding three very local endemics: Gray-hooded Parrotbill, Emei Shan Liocichla, and the recently described Sichuan Treecreeper. Parrotbills are particularly well represented in Sichuan, and in addition to Gray-hooded, we’ll also hope to see Great, Ashy-throated, Fulvous, Golden, and the endemic Three-toed. Among the many warblers that can be seen on the tour are eight bush warblers and no fewer than 17 species of Phylloscopus. On one day we’ll explore the summit, which hosts healthy populations of Chestnut-crowned and Aberrant Bush Warblers and Buff-throated and Buff-barred Warblers. Golden-spectacled Warbler has recently been split into a number of different species, four of which occur in Sichuan, and we expect to encounter three of these attractive sprites on Wawu Shan.
Other possibilities here include the magnificent White-throated Needletail, Maroon-backed Accentor, White-browed Shortwing, Vinaceous Rosefinch, and Gray-headed Bullfinch. We also have a reasonable chance here of encountering the gorgeous Temminck’s Tragopan, and with a little luck, lower down the mountain we might also see Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, one of the most secretive, but undeniably one of the most attractive of China’s pheasants. The mountain’s mid-altitude forests will ring to the sounds of Oriental, Lesser, and Large Hawk Cuckoos, making it a challenge to distinguish more subtle vocalists such as Emei Shan Liocichla, Bar-winged Wren Babbler, or Slaty Bunting.
We’ll spend two nights in a guest house two-thirds of the way up the mountain and the third night in a better hotel near the base.
Day 6: We’ll leave Wawu Shan to make our own pilgrimage to Emei Shan, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains. Like Wawu, Emei Shan straddles the boundary between the Palearctic and Oriental regions and harbors a remarkable variety of species. Over the years, the mountain’s numerous monasteries and ancient shrines have protected its forests, much to the benefit of their nearly unique avifauna. Several species—Emei Shan Leaf Warbler, Emei Shan Liocichla, and Emei Golden-spectacled Warbler—even bear the mountain’s name. Our hotel is close to the foot of the mountain, where we’ll search subtropical forests for species such as Tiger Shrike, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Brown-breasted and Ferruginous Flycatchers, Collared Finchbill, and Hwamei and Ashy-throated Parrotbills. Night near Emei Shan city.
Day 7: After another morning searching for the likes of Chinese Bamboo Partridge (much easier to hear than it is to see) and Whistling (previously Hodgson’s) Hawk Cuckoo around the base of Emei Shan, we’ll drive to the town of Ya’an, where we’ll spend the night.
Day 8: Leaving Ya’an we’ll wind our way through deep valleys and narrow gorges towards Rilong, a thriving tourist town at the foot of the mighty Four Sisters Mountains. We’ll spend four nights here.
Days 9-11: Dominated by imposing mountains, Rilong is the ideal base from which to explore neighboring Wolong Reserve. World-renowned as the headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund’s project to save the Giant Panda, Wolong has much to offer the birder, too. The whole areas is scenically stunning, and though we’re unlikely to see a wild Giant Panda (we have seen Red Panda in the reserve), the spectacular forests, extensive stands of bamboo, stunning alpine meadows, and rugged snow-capped peaks harbor some truly outstanding birds.
We’ll spend three full days exploring here, with numerous possibilities to choose from. We’ll cross the mighty Balangshan Pass each day; the summit, at just over 14,500 feet, is the highest point we’ll reach on the entire tour. Small coveys of Snow Partridge and Tibetan Snowcock are regularly seen scurrying over the scree slopes beside the road, as are Grandalas, the males resplendent in their cobalt-blue plumage. Other high-altitude specialties could include Lammergeier, Red-billed and Yellow-billed Choughs, Alpine Accentor, Brandt’s Mountain Finch, and Red-fronted Rosefinch. One day we’ll start earlier, crossing the pass in darkness to descend in the hope of finding Wood Snipe displaying over some of the higher alpine meadows. Koklass Pheasant and Kessler’s Thrush both breed close to treeline here; while the pheasant is elusive and difficult to see, we’re sure to hear its unpleasant barking calls ringing across the valleys.
With luck, we might also find a covey of spectacular White Eared Pheasants, or perhaps even a Chinese Monal. Farther down, on the mountain’s mid-level slopes, we’ll search for Barred and the mighty Giant Laughingthrush and for one of Wolong’s premier avian jewels, the fabulously named Firethroat. We should be able to find at least one of these truly world-class songsters, while Chinese Leaf Warblers, Chinese Fulvetta, and Plain-backed Thrush could all follow. And we won’t neglect the mammals: the park boasts reasonable populations of Himalayan Marmot and both Blue Sheep and Takin.
Day 12: Leaving Rilong, our route will take us through another series of valleys and across a few more small passes on our way to Maerkang, where we’ll spend two nights.
Day 13: We’ll spend today birding Zhegushan Pass, where Chestnut-throated Partridge and Blood Pheasant are both reasonably regular. Our other targets include the strikingly patterned Przewalsky’s Nuthatch, gorgeous White-browed and the even more appealing Crested Tit Warblers, Chinese Fulvetta, Crimson-browed Finch, and Tibetan Siskin. We’ll also have our first chance at Three-banded Rosefinch here. Night in Maerkang.
Day 14: After another morning on the Zhegushan Pass, we’ll continue to the mighty Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau proper. We’ll stop just as we crest the eastern edge to explore a couple of isolated stands of conifers, searching in particular for the endangered endemic Sichuan Jay, Songar and White-browed Tits, and Plain and Elliot’s Laughingthrushes. Night in Hongyuan.
Day 15: We’ll move farther onto the Plateau, passing tented camps and fields of yaks as we scan for specialties such as the comical Hume’s Groundpecker, hulking Tibetan Lark, and White-rumped and Rufous-necked Snowfinches. Our destination will be Ruoergai, a relatively modern Tibetan settlement right in the heart of some exciting plateau birding. In the afternoon we’ll head out to search the surrounding steppes for parties of majestic Black-necked Cranes. With luck, we might also find a Saker Falcon or Chinese Gray Shrike.
Day 16: We’ll leave the Plateau this morning and drive a minor road over the spectacular La Ma Ling pass to Jiuzhaigou. We’ll make numerous stops to search for species such as Sichuan Jay, Daurian Jackdaw, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush, and Pink-rumped Rosefinch. Night close to Jiuzhaigou National Park.
Days 17-18: Our two days at Jiuzhaigou will give us time to explore a number of sites both inside and just outside this wonderful sanctuary. Jiuzhaigou must rank as one of the most scenic mountain areas in Asia: startlingly jagged snow-capped peaks are flanked by alpine meadows, and there are extensive stands of bamboo and large tracts of dense coniferous and mixed forest. But it’s the myriad waterfalls, pools, and multicolored small lakes that make the park so famous. There are still a few Tibetan villages here, with their attractive wooden dwellings. Because we cannot take our own vehicles into the park, we’ll use the reserve’s frequent shuttle bus services to explore a number of the better birding sites. We’ll spend time searching an area of mixed forest for Rufous-headed Robin, a fabulous songster virtually unknown at other sites. Other sought-after species include Chinese Nuthatch, Rusty-breasted and Sooty Tits, and the noisy Spotted Laughingthrush. We’ll venture back into the coniferous forest to search for Chestnut-throated Partridge, Chinese Grouse, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, the enigmatic Sichuan Wood Owl, Himalayan Orange-flanked Bush Robin, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush, and White-winged Grosbeak. On one day we’ll also look for the tiny Spectacled Parrotbill.
Day 19: On our final morning around Jiuzhaigou we’ll explore an area outside the park where both Snowy-cheeked and Barred Laughingthrushes are more regular, and where we’ve also seen Three-toed Parrotbill. In the afternoon we’ll start our journey back to Chengdu. Night in Jiangyou.
Day 20: We’ll arrive in Chengdu in time to visit the Panda Breeding Center on the edge of the city. Besides the pandas, birds here include Rufous-faced Warbler, White-browed Laughingthrush, Gray-headed and Vinous-throated Parrotbills, and Yellow-billed Grosbeak. Night in Chengdu.
Day 21: The tour ends this morning in Chengdu.
Updated: 28 April 2009
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Notes
This tour is limited to 10 participants.
Depending on the arrival time for the Sunbird group from London, there may be an optional afternoon group birding excursion to the gardens surrounding the cottage of Du Fu.
This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird.