Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Chengdu; drive to Chuanzhusi

Flights arrive in Chengdu. After all the participants have gathered, we drive around 6 hours to the mountain town of Chuanzhusi. This town is situated at 2800m (9200 ft.), so it’s a good place to acclimate to higher altitudes before pressing on to the higher haunts of the Pinktail, on the Tibetan Plateau. Chuanzhusi is nestled in a deep valley, surrounded by montane forest, which will be full of birds at the height of the breeding season in early June. This area has some great “chickens” including Tibetan Snowcock, Blue-eared Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, and Ring-necked Pheasant where it actually belongs! Although the Pinktail isn’t found here, there are lots of typical finches, including Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, and Streaked Rosefinch. Himalayan forest is brilliant for mixed flocks, which can contain birds like Crested Tit Warbler, White-browed Tit, Chinese Fulvetta, Sichuan Tit, Gray-crested Tit, Rufous-vented Tit, Przewalski's Nuthatch, and Tickell's Leaf Warbler. The scrub on the edge of the plateau also supports White-browed Tit Warbler. The Himalayas are rich in beautiful robins such as White-throated Redstart, and Chinese Rubythroat. A few other choice targets in the area include Lammergeier (aka Bearded Vulture), Himalayan Griffon, Snow Pigeon, Kessler's Thrush, Great and Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrushes, Plain Mountain Finch, and Rosy Pipit. We'll spend two nights in Chuanzhusi. 

Day 2: Full day Chuanzhusi area

There are plenty of great birds to pursue during our full day here, and good photographic opportunities for those with cameras. In the morning we will visit the old Huanglong Road, up to a 4000m (13,000 ft.) pass. The big target at the higher elevations will be the Tibetan Snowcock. We might also encounter Blood Pheasant, Himalayan Buzzard, Rufous-vented, Sichuan, and Gray-crested Tits, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Chestnut Thrush, and Rufous-breasted and Maroon-backed Accentors. Our afternoon destination will be a monastery where we have an excellent chance of seeing the magnificent Blue Eared-Pheasant, an unusual slate-gray bird with an ornate tail and white tufts on its red bare face. 

Day 2: Chuanzhusi to Ruoergai

This is an exciting day, as we move into range for our main quarry, and the raison d'être of the trip! In the morning we drive about two hours up onto the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Along the way, we have a good chance to run into Black-necked Crane, with its tufty black tail, silvery body, and red crown. In the late morning and afternoon we have our first chances of encountering Przevalski's Pinktail. Four nights will be spent in a hotel in Ruoergai. 

Days 3-4: Ruoergai area

These days are all about Pinktail, of course, and our exact plan for each day will be aimed to maximize our chances of having good encounters with this unique beauty. But that is far from the only cool bird in the area. The plateau is rich in wetlands, which hold birds like Bar-headed Goose, Red-headed Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Pallas's and Brown-headed Gulls, and Black-necked Crane. Drier alpine scrub and grassland support White-browed Tit, Ground Tit, Tibetan Partridge, Rufous-necked and White-rumped Snowfinches, Giant Shrike, Robin Accentor, Horned Lark, Oriental Skylark, Tibetan Lark, and Citrine Wagtail of the black-backed Tibetan subspecies. These open plains are great for raptors, which can soar overhead anytime. Possibilities include Himalayan Griffon, Lammergeier, Upland Buzzard, and the endangered Saker Falcon.

Day 5: Baxi

If we haven’t yet found Pinktail, this day will likely be spent in a final attempt at this bird. But by now it’s highly likely that we have had excellent views of our main target, and so we will venture farther afield to the Baxi forest, back in the Himalayan forests, just off the plateau. The birds of this area are similar to those of Chuanzhusi, but there are a couple tantalizing new possibilities, in the form of Sichuan Jay, Chinese Grouse and Sichuan Wood Owl. Other birds that we’ll look for include Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Maroon-backed Accentor, Long-tailed Thrush, Three-banded Rosefinch, Spectacled Parrotbill, Plain Laughinthrush, Chinese and Hume’s Leaf Warblers, and Yellow-streaked Warbler.

Day 6: Ruoergai to Pingwu

Leaving the Tibetan Plateau, and our monotypic family quarry behind, we’ll descend towards Pingwu, birding along the way. We’ll stop to visit a habituated troop of Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, a beautiful primate with a golden head and blue bare facial skin. In the Jiuzhaigou area we will target Snowy-browed Nuthatch and Pere David's Tit. We have a single night in Pingwu. 

Day 7: Pingwu to Chengdu. Departure

In the morning we will bird a local park that has some lowland species that should be new for our trip list. These include Zappey's Flycatcher, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Kloss's Leaf Warbler, Slaty Bunting, and Russet Sparrow. There is even a chance for the gorgeous Golden Pheasant. A drive of about four hours, mostly on a fast modern highway, will bring us back to Chengdu to catch our outbound flights. 
 

​​​

Trip Considerations

​

PACE: Moderate. Expect early breakfasts in order to reach the birding locations at the ideal time. Lunch will be either at local restaurants or in the field. When possible, there will be breaks at mid-day. Mornings and afternoons provide the best opportunities for wildlife activity.

PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. Most of our walking will be in flat or moderately sloped areas, on roads. The main physical difficulty, at least for some, will be the high elevation of the Tibetan Plateau portion of the trip (sleeping at 11,000 ft. / 3300m). 

CLIMATE: Cool to chilly in the mountains. Can be warm in the middle of the day. 

ACCOMMODATION: All city accommodations are excellent. In more remote areas, amenities may be limited, but all lodgings provide hot water showers. Western-style (“sit-down”) toilets are available in nearly all hotels, while eastern-style toilets are becoming less common. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi; however, service may be unreliable at times.

 PHOTOGRAPHY: There are very good photo opportunities, especially on the open habitats of the Tibetan Plateau. 
 

​​

Other Information

​

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. A visa is required. You must obtain your visa from a Chinese embassy or consulate well in advance of the tour. Our office staff will provide needed support documents for you to get your visa.

FOOD: Western-style food is generally not available on this tour. However, the local food is usually superb, and some past tour participants have mentioned the food as being a highlight of the trip.

WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and hotel/restaurant staff; accommodation from night of day 1 through to night of day 6; meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 7; safe drinking water throughout; green tea is also typically provided with most dinners and some lunches at restaurants; Tropical Birding tour leader with audio gear from the morning of day 1 to afternoon of day 7; local bilingual Chinese guide(s) throughout; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle with driver; entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary.

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters in city hotel; flights; visa and passport fees; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included.

Tour Reviews