Birding+Wildlife Photograghy
Overview
This 20‑day Yunnan birding & photo tour covers Yunnan’s most famous hotspots and critical wildlife habitats: montane broad‑leaf forests, high‑elevation alpine zones, temperate coniferous forests, subtropical evergreen forest, wetland & agricultural lowlands, and border tropical rainforest.
Trip Highlights
- Pheasants( White Eared Pheasant,Blood Pheasant,Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, Gray Peacock-Pheasant)
- Babblers and Scimitar Babblers(Cachar Wedge-billed Scimitar Babbler, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Large Scimitar Babbler,White-hooded Babbler)
- Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey
- Laughingthrushes(Elliot's Laughingthrush, Giant Laughingthrush,Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Scaly Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liocichla)
Itinerary
This 20‑day Yunnan birding tour covers a fantastic diversity of habitats, from subtropical montane forests and high‑elevation alpine zones down to tropical lowland rainforests, wetlands and farmlands.
We begin in Kunming, then move west to Zixi Mountain in Chuxiong, renowned for multiple nuthatch species and forest pheasants. Continuing onward, we explore Cangshan Mountain in Dali before heading to Lijiang and Tacheng, where we combine birdwatching with a visit to the Yunnan Snub‑nosed Monkey reserve. Our high‑altitude segment in Shangri‑La targets sought‑after alpine birds including Blood Pheasant, White Eared‑Pheasant and Black‑necked Crane.
We then travel south to Gaoligong Mountains’ Baihualing for three days of intensive forest birding at hides and trails, chasing a wide suite of babblers, flycatchers, finches and pheasants. Afterwards we spend two days at Yingjiang wetlands and Nabang open farmlands for waterbirds and low‑land species. The final three days are dedicated to the tropical frontier forests around Hornbill Valley, Hongbenghe and Shiti Village, focusing on hornbills, pittas, babblers，scimitar babblers and other rare tropical specialties.
The tour concludes at Tengchong Airport on Day 20.
Arrive in Kunming. Birding activities will be arranged according to the flight arrival time.
Full-day birding at Zixi Mountain. Target species: Giant Nuthatch, Yunnan Nuthatch, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, White-throated Laughingthrush, and other montane forest birds.
Morning birding at Zixi Mountain. Afternoon drive to Dali for overnight stay.
All-day birding on Cangshan Mountain. Target species: Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Yunnan Nuthatch, Fire-tailed Sunbird, Gould's Sunbird, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Moupin Thrush, Gold-naped Finch, Red-billed Blue Magpie, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Black-headed Greenfinch, Spectacled Fulvetta, and other highland forest species.
Morning birding in Dali. Afternoon drive to Lijiang for overnight stay.
Two days of birding in Lijiang and Liju Village area.
Target species: Biet's Laughingthrush (White-speckled Laughingthrush), Black-faced Laughingthrush, Moustached Laughingthrush, Grey-hooded Fulvetta, Eye-ringed Parrotbill (Yunnan Parrotbill), Moupin Babbler (Rufous-tailed Babbler), Yunnan Nuthatch, Black-bibbed Tit, Bar-winged Wren-Babbler, and other specialty highland birds.
Morning birding in Lijiang. Afternoon drive to Tacheng (Weixi) for overnight stay.
Morning wildlife and birding survey at Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey National Reserve. Afternoon drive to Shangri-La and birding at Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden. Target species: Rufous-vented Tit, Sichuan Tit, Elliot's Laughingthrush, Giant Laughingthrush, White-browed Fulvetta, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, Pink-rumped Rosefinch, White-winged Grosbeak.
Full-day high-altitude（3,800 metres） birding in Shangri-La area. Target species: Black-necked Crane, Blood Pheasant, White Eared Pheasant, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Yunnan Nuthatch, Black-bibbed Tit, Giant Laughingthrush, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, Crimson-breasted Woodpecker, Sichuan Treecreeper.
Long-distance transfer from Shangri-La to Baihualing (Gaoligong Mountains). Overnight at Baihualing.
Three days of intensive birding at multiple bird hides and forest trails in Baihualing. Target species: Scarlet Finch, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Golden Bush Robin, Himalayan Shortwing, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Cachar Wedge-billed Scimitar Babbler, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Kalij Pheasant, Mrs. Hume's Pheasant, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Greater Yellownape, Great Barbet, Blue-throated Barbet, Black-breasted Thrush, Himalayan Bluetail, Large Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Orange-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Scaly Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Red-faced Liocichla, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Yunnan Fulvetta, Brown-winged Parrotbill, Black-headed Sibia, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Silver-eared Mesia, Red-billed Leiothrix, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Rufous-vented Yuhina, and other Gaoligong specialties.
Two days of wetland and lowland birding at Yingjiang National Wetland Park and Nabang agricultural areas. Target species: River Tern, River Lapwing, Red-wattled Lapwing, Asian Openbill, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Wire-tailed Swallow, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Collared Myna, Burmese Shrike, Rufous-necked Laughingthrush, and various water & open-country birds.
Three days of tropical lowland birding focusing on hornbills, owls and rare forest species. Target species: Great Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Collared Falconet, Kalij Pheasant, White-cheeked Partridge, Red Junglefowl, Brown Wood Owl, Oriental Bay Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Greater Flameback, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Crested Treeswift, Blue-naped Pitta, Chestnut-headed Pitta, White-crested Laughingthrush, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, Large Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-backed Sibia, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo, White-hooded Babbler, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Pale-billed Parrotbill, and other frontier tropical bird specialties.
Tour ends.Drive to Tengchong Airport for departure back home.
