11 Days Eastern China in Spring

Day 1 :Arrival in Shanghai,Birding at Nanhui

Arrive in Shanghai and proceed to Nanhui. Upon arrival, meet your local guide and driver, and then drive to Nanhui. The area is known for its extensive reed beds and mudflats, providing opportunities to seek Reed Parrotbill and Japanese Swamp Warbler (Marsh Grassbird). It's also an excellent spot for migrants, where you can expect to see various Flycatchers and Warblers such as Dark-sided, Asian Brown, Blue-and-white, Narcissus, Yellow-rumped, and Mugimaki Flycatchers, as well as Pallas’s Leaf Warbler and Yellow-browed, Arctic, Pale-legged, and Eastern Crowned Warblers.

Night in Nanhui.

Day 2 : Nanhui to Rudong, Birding in Rudong

Depart from Nanhui to Rudong for birdwatching. The main focus will be on finding the rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, and the Chinese Egret (Swinhoe’s). Other species of interest include Red-necked Stint, Red Knot, Sanderling, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Great Knot, Kentish Plover, Mongolian Sandplover, Greater Sandplover, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Far Eastern Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Eastern Black-tailed Godwit, Long-toed Stint, Saunders’s Gulls, Black-tailed Gull, Mongolian Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Grey-headed Lapwing, Oriental Pratincole, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and potentially Little Curlew if fortune permits. You will also explore forested areas and farmlands, which may yield Forest Wagtail, Pechora Pipit, Siberian Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Grey-backed Thrush, White’s Thrush, Japanese Thrush, Chinese Blackbird, Siberian Rubythroat, Rufous-tailed Robin, Siberian Blue Robin, Manchurian Bush-Warbler, Chinese Grosbeak, Black-faced Bunting, Little Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, Tristram’s Bunting, Bull-headed Shrike, and Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher.

Night in Jianggang Town.

Day 3 : Birding at Tiao Zi Ni Area

Birdwatch at Tiao Zi Ni, known for its muddy flats that are excellent for shorebirds. Your primary targets will be the rare Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Nordmann’s Greenshank, and Chinese Egret (Swinhoe’s). Other notable species include Red-necked Stint, Red Knot, Sanderling, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Great Knot, Kentish Plover, Mongolian Sandplover, Greater Sandplover, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Far Eastern Curlew, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Pied Avocet, Common Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Eastern Black-tailed Godwit, Long-toed Stint, Saunders’s Gulls, Black-tailed Gull, Mongolian Gull, Heuglin’s Gull, Grey-headed Lapwing, Oriental Pratincole, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, and possibly Little Curlew. You will also explore surrounding forested areas and grasslands, searching for Forest Wagtail, Pechora Pipit, Siberian Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, Grey-backed Thrush, White’s Thrush, Japanese Thrush, Chinese Blackbird, Siberian Rubythroat, Rufous-tailed Robin, Siberian Blue Robin, Manchurian Bush-Warbler, Chinese Grosbeak, Black-faced Bunting, Little Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, Chestnut Bunting, Tristram’s Bunting, Bull-headed Shrike, and Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher.

Night in Jianggang Town.

Day 4 : Tiao zi ni to Shanghai to Wuyuan

Enjoy birding at Tiao zi ni in the morning, then drive back to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to take a high-speed train to Wuyuan.

Night in Wuyuan.

Day 5 : Birding in Wuyuan

Spend the day birdwatching in Wuyuan, a picturesque rural area in Jiangxi Province known for its 85% forest coverage and home to 370 bird species. The area features ancient villages where rare birds can often be found nearby. The Courtois’s Laughingthrush (also known as Blue-crowned Laughingthrush) is the rarest species in the region, with an estimated population of around 200. You will dedicate time to seeking these birds on a small island near a village. Other target species include Pied Falconet, Mandarin Duck, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Black Baza, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Long-billed Plover, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Crested Kingfisher, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, White-throated Needletail, Swinhoe’s Minivet, and Grey-chinned Minivet, along with Brown-breasted, Chinese, and Chestnut Bulbuls. Look for Dollarbird, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Dusky and Grey-cheeked Fulvettas, Collared Finchbill, White-crowned Forktail, Chinese Hwamei, and various Laughingthrush species. You will also target Rufous-faced Warbler, Black-throated Bushtit, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Grey Treepie, and both Black-collared and Red-billed Starlings.

Night in Wuyuan.

Day 6 : Birding in Wuyuan

Another day of birdwatching in Wuyuan, focusing on any remaining species that you may still need to see. You can expect to target Mandarin Duck, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Black Baza, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Long-billed Plover, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Indian Cuckoo, Crested Kingfisher, Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, White-throated Needletail, Swinhoe’s Minivet, Grey-chinned Minivet, along with Brown-breasted, Chinese, and Chestnut Bulbuls. Look for Dollarbird, Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Dusky and Grey-cheeked Fulvettas, Collared Finchbill, White-crowned Forktail, Chinese Hwamei, and various species of Laughingthrush. Additional targets include Rufous-faced Warbler, Black-throated Bushtit, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Grey Treepie, and both Black-collared and Red-billed Starlings. 

Night in Wuyuan.

Day 7 : Wuyuan to Emeifeng in Fujian Province

Depart from Wuyuan to Emei Feng in Fujian Province. After spending some early morning time in Wuyuan, you will embark on a 6-hour drive to Emei Feng. If time permits, you will search for Elliot's Pheasant during the rest of the afternoon. You will spend the night at Emei Feng.

Night at Emeifeng.

Day 8 : Birding at Emeifeng

Dedicate the day to birdwatching at Emei Feng, focusing on finding Cabot's Tragopan, Elliot's Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Silver Pheasants, and both White-necklaced and Chinese Bamboo Partridges. Additional species to look for include Buffy Laughingthrush, Mustached Laughingthrush, Indo-Chinese Yuhinas, Black-chinned Yuhinas, Chestnut Bulbul, Rufous-faced Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, White-spectacled Warbler, Small Niltava, Spotted Elachura, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, Huet’s Fulvetta, Buff-throated Warbler, Brown Bush Warbler, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoos, Collared Owlet, Bay Woodpecker, Great Barbet, Grey-chinned Minivet, White-bellied Erpornis, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Sultan Tit, Black-throated Bushtit, Brown-flanked Bush Warbler, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Mountain Black Bulbul, Himalayan Black Bulbul, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Pygmy Wren-Babbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Red-billed Leiothrix, Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Orange-bellied Leafbird, and the rare Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher, Grey-headed Parrotbill.

Night at Emeifeng

Day 9 : Birding at Emeifeng

Spend another day birdwatching at Emei Feng, continuing to search for any species you might still be missing. Target species include Cabot's Tragopan, Elliot's Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, White-necklaced Partridge, and Chinese Bamboo Partridge. You will also keep an eye out for Buffy Laughingthrush, Mustached Laughingthrush, Indo-Chinese Yuhinas, Black-chinned Yuhinas, Chestnut Bulbul, Rufous-faced Warbler, Kloss’s Leaf Warbler, White-spectacled Warbler, Small Niltava, Spotted Elachura, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, Huet’s Fulvetta, Buff-throated Warbler, Brown Bush Warbler, Barred Cuckoo-Dove, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Lesser Cuckoos, Collared Owlet, Bay Woodpecker, Great Barbet, Grey-chinned Minivet, White-bellied Erpornis, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Sultan Tit, Black-throated Bushtit, Brown-flanked Bush Warbler, Sulphur-breasted Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Mountain Black Bulbul, Himalayan Black Bulbul, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Pygmy Wren-Babbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, and Red-billed Leiothrix, as well as Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, Blue Whistling-Thrush, Little Forktail, Spotted Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail, and White-crowned Forktail.

Day 10 :Emeifeng to Nanchang

After spending half the day in Emei Feng looking for any remaining species, you will drive 4.5 hours to Nanchang where you will stay overnight

Day 11 :Departure day

Departure day. Fly out of Nanchang to Shanghai, Beijing, or Guangzhou to connect with your international flights back home.