Sichuan has some great birding areas, a cool mountain landscape, and superb, internationally famous cuisine. The spectacular scenery ranges from the mighty mountain pass of Balang Shan, surrounded by towering snow-topped peaks, to the scenic wooded valley of Jiuzhaigou, dotted with jade and turquoise-colored lakes and dramatic cascades. It is no coincidence that some Chinese people refer to Sichuan as the ‘heavenly kingdom’. 

Day 1: Arrival in Chengdu. You will be transferred to our comfortable Chengdu hotel.

Day 2: Wolong. We head into the Wolong hills and search for two special Chinese endemics: the strange junco-like Slaty Bunting and the unforgettable Golden Pheasant, a living work of art. Other possibilities include endemic Yellow-bellied and Sooty Tits and the gorgeous Indian Blue Robin. The night will be spent in a luxurious Wolong hotel.

Days 3-4: Wuyipeng. This Panda research station will be our base for the next two nights. Reaching it involves a fairly strenuous walk, but birding along the way will make it easier. These scenic woods are home to breathtaking Temminck’s Tragopans, Three-toed and Great Parrotbills, Spotted Nutcrackers, and beautiful Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds.

Day 5: Wuyipeng and Bei Mu Ping. After a final morning in Wuyipeng’s enchanting woodlands, we’ll head to a higher altitude area near Wolong. Here we should see Himlayan Griffons and may find endemic Giant Laughingthrushes or Chinese Fulvettas, among smart Blue-fronted Redstarts and White-browed Rosefinches. We’ll return to our Wolong hotel for a two-night stay. 

Day 6: Balang Shan. The scenery around the high pass at Balang Shan is nothing short of spectacular and provides one of the best backdrops for birding anywhere in the world. On the way up to the pass, we’ll make special stops for two rare pheasants: iridescent Chinese Monals, and flocks of ghostly White-eared Pheasants feeding in the early morning half-light. Up at the pass, we’ll look for hardy high mountain species, such as Snow Patridge and Tibetan Snowcock. On the passerine front, the pass plays host to indigo-blue Grandalas, earthy Red-fronted Rosefinches, and several accentor species.

Day 7: Balang Shan to Maerkang. After spending more time around Balang Shan, focusing our search on the stunning Himalayan Rubythroat and White-browed Tit-Warbler, we’ll leave Wolong behind and head into our first Tibetan areas of the tour. On the journey we’ll pick up some dry country birds like Hill Pigeons and Blue Rock-Thrushes. We will spend two nights in the bustling Tibetan town of Maerkang.

Day 8: Maerkang. This is a typical Tibetan town with colorfully-painted Tibetan houses sprinkled all about. Nearby, a seldom-used mountain road passes through superb spruce forests, home to the endemic and impossibly cute Crested Tit-Warbler, Verreaux’s Monal-Partridge, Three-banded Rosefinch, and the rare Sichuan Jay.

Day 9: Maerkang to the Tibetan Plateau. On this day we’ll climb onto the wide-open plains of the Tibetan Plateau. These grassy plains, interspersed with boggy pastures give the birding a completely new feel. Huge, sprawling herds of yaks roam the plains, and the distinctively patterned tented camps of the herders dot this barren landscape. The birding on the plateau is easy, and should include regal Black-necked Cranes, Godlewski’s Buntings, Upland Buzzards and a host of colorful redstarts. At the end of the day we’ll retire to a hotel in Hongyuan.

Day 10: Hongyuan to Ruoergai. One of our targets today will be the charasmatic Hume’s Groundpecker, which is far better than the pictures in the field guides. Other targets here include huge Chinese Gray Shrikes, Tibetan Snowfinches, and striking endemic White-browed Tits. At the close of the day we’ll stay in Ruoergai for the night.

Day 11: Ruoergai to Jiuzhaigou NP. This long drive will see us descend from the plateau into tall, montane spruce forests. On this journey we’ll make a number of special stops, not least for the scarce and shy endemic Sukatschev’s Laughingthrush, with the superb Przevalski’s Nuthatch and a gorgeous form of Ring-necked Pheasant also real possibilities. We stay in Jiuzhaigou town, right on the edge of the national park, for three nights.

Days 12-13: Jiuzhaigou NP. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks to the breathtaking scenery and natural beauty of the attractive, wooded valley. The park is very popular with Asian and Western tourists alike, but we know where to find the less beaten paths, well off the usual tourist circuit. On these quiet trails we will search for Chinese Leaf-Warblers, Chinese Nuthatches, Slaty-backed Flycatchers and others. However, one of the main targets at Jiuzhaigou is the striking Rufous-headed Robin, a little-known bird that was discovered breeding in the park, and it is virtually unknown outside here.

Day 14: Jiuzhaigou to Chengdu. We will spend our final morning of the tour birding a low pass just outside of the park. These scenic spruce forests hold birds like the butch Collared Grosbeak, Long-tailed Thrush, Maroon-backed Accentor, Rufous-vented Tit, Chinese Grouse, and perhaps even Blue Eared-Pheasant. We then return to Chengdu in time to have farewell dinner at one of Chengdu’s best restaurants.

Day 15: Chengdu. You will be transferred to the airport for international departures.

Southern Shans pre-tour extension (7 days)
Beginning before the main tour, we visit Sichuan’s bird-rich, Buddhist holy mountains of Emei and Wawu Shan. The extension begins by visiting Crouching Tiger Temple where we’ll search for some far-eastern stunners like Hwamei and Fork-tailed Sunbird, while listening for the tinkling call of the delightful Rufous-faced Warbler emanating from the bamboo. We’ll also visit Wawu Shan, or “Roof Tile Mountain”, which shot to recent ornithological fame with the discovery of a new species, the aptly-named Sichuan Treecreeper. The bamboo-choked fir forests on its tabletop summit hold the adorable Fulvous and Gray-hooded Parrotbills, while lower down we’ll be looking for the highly localized Emei Shan Liocichla and Red-winged and Spotted Laughingthrushes. We will also look for the near-mythical Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, as well as Golden Parrotbill and Vinaceous Rosefinch.

Tour info:

CLIMATE: Cool to chilly, and damp in the mountains. Snow is possible at Balang Shan. Warm and humid in the lowlands of Chengdu and the southern Shans.

DIFFICULTY: Mostly moderate, occasionally difficult. A few of the hikes are strenuous.

ACCOMMODATION: Moderate to very good except for Wuyipeng, which is basic and has shared bathrooms.