16 Days Classic Sichuan Endemic Birding Tour

Day‑by‑Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Arrival in Chengdu

The tour group will arrive at Chengdu’s international airport. If time allowed, we’ll then 3 hrs transfer to Longhua Town in Yibing. If late arrive, then we just stay at the airport hotel, and leave very early in the morning next day for the birding.

Likely local birds: Light‑vented Bulbul, Chinese Blackbird, White‑browed Laughingthrush

Overnight: Chengdu

Day 2 | Tanshi village birding hides

We will head out early for Tanshi, home to hides for the elusive Sichuan Partridge. We will also look for the Silver Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and Temminck’s Tragopan. Laughingthrushes, Liocichla and Parrotbills will remain active in the early‑morning woodland.

Targets: Sichuan Partridge, Silver Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Temminck’s Tragopan, Buffy Laughingthrush, Emei Shan Liocichla, Golden Parrotbill.

After fieldwork, drive to Wawushan.

Overnight: Wawushan mountain hotel

Day 3‑4 | Wawushan Table Mountain

Wawushan’s table‑top plateau supports extensive bamboo and will be a true parrotbill hotspot: Three‑toed Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Grey‑hooded Parrotbill, Emei Shan Liocichla and Emei Leaf‑Warbler. Rain, mist and low cloud will be extremely common here, so full rain‑proof gear will be essential. We will hike the concrete boardwalk network searching for secretive bamboo‑dwelling species. Encounters with Red Panda will be very possible here. We will rotate between low‑ and high‑elevation points to maximise species coverage across two full days.

Target species:

Higher elevation: Three‑toed Parrotbill, Great Parrotbill, Fulvous Parrotbill, Black‑headed Sibia, Emei Shan Liocichla, Emei Leaf‑Warbler, Chestnut‑vented Nuthatch, Brown Parrotbill, Firethroat, Slaty‑blue Flycatcher, Golden Bush‑Robin, White‑throated Needletail, Sichuan Thrush, Grey‑hooded Parrotbill

Lower slopes: Temminck’s Tragopan, Sichuan Bush Warbler, Grey‑headed Parrotbill, Alström’s Warbler, David’s Fulvetta, Black‑chinned Yuhina, Chinese Blue Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing, Emei Leaf‑Warbler & Kloss’s Leaf‑Warbler, Chinese Hwamei, Ashy‑throated Parrotbill.

Overnight: Wawushan mountain hotel

Day 5 | Wawushan → Labahe Nature Reserve

After morning exploration in Mt. Wawushan, We will drive to Labahe NR, which features complete vertical vegetation belts ranging from subtropical bamboo up to alpine zones. Low‑elevation broadleaf bamboo will be home to our major target – Firethroat.

Target species:

En‑route (possible): Ashy‑throated Parrotbill mixed with Rufous‑capped Babbler, Black‑browed Reed Warbler, Brown‑breasted Flycatcher, White‑browed Laughingthrush, Swinhoe’s White‑eye, Black‑throated Tit.

Labahe NR: Himalayan Shortwing, Firethroat, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, leaf‑warblers (Kloss’s, Claudia’s, Ashy‑throated, Large‑billed Leaf, Bianchi’s Warbler), bush‑warblers, Grey‑headed Fulvetta, Golden‑breasted Fulvetta, White‑collared & Stripe‑throated Yuhinas, Pere David’s Tit, Black‑browed Bushtit, Yellow‑browed Tit.

Cable‑car high zone: Golden Bush‑Robin, Chestnut‑crowned Bush Warbler, Grey‑sided Bush Warbler, Fulvous Parrotbill, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Rufous‑gorgeted Flycatcher, Dark‑sided Flycatcher.

Overnight: Labahe NR

Day 6 | Full‑day Labahe exploration

We will spend a full day covering river‑valley, bamboo and high‑mountain zones. Apart from birds, Labahe will offer decent chances of encountering Red Panda, Takin, Tibetan Macaque and Chinese Goral. We leave Labahe in late afternoon and travel toward Lengqi Town.

Targets: Rufous‑bellied Woodpecker, Red‑tailed Minla, Pere David’s Tit;

Mammals: Chinese Red Panda, Takin, Chinese Goral, Tibetan Macaque.

Late‑afternoon Erlangshan birding: Rufous‑tailed Babbler (Moupinia), Black‑streaked Scimitar‑Babbler, Barred Laughingthrush, Yellow‑throated Bunting, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant.

Overnight: Lengqi Town

Day 7 | Lengqi – Luding – Lianghekou (Kangding)

We will conduct early‑morning birding in the Luding site — Wanggangping.  Then continue onward to Lianghekou valley near Kangding, entering prime elevation habitat for Chinese Monal. We will scan mountain slopes for Chinese Monal, alongside Snow Partridge, White Eared‑Pheasant, Red‑fronted Rosefinch and Golden Bush‑Robin. We will stay at a local mountain guesthouse.

Target species:

Luding area: Rufous‑tailed Babbler, Black‑streaked Scimitar‑Babbler, White‑bellied Redstart, Bay Woodpecker, Spotted Laughingthrush, Barred Laughingthrush, Black‑headed Greenfinch, Russet Sparrow.

Lianghekou: Plain Mountain Finch, Sharpe’s Rosefinch, Chinese Monal, Snow Pigeon, Snow Partridge, White Eared‑Pheasant, Tibetan Snowcock, Dark‑breasted Rosefinch, Red‑fronted Rosefinch, Black‑headed Mountain Finch, Golden Bush‑Robin, Grey‑sided & Spotted Bush‑Warbler, Alpine Thrush.

Overnight: Mountain guesthouse near Lianghekou

Day 8 | Lianghekou → Wolong National Nature Reserve

We will look for the Chinese Monal and others again in the morning, and then leave to Wolong with some birding stops along the way. Upon arrival in Wolong we will bird the upper Gengda road. At forest edges around dusk we will search for Golden Pheasant, and scan mixed bird waves for various flycatchers and leaf‑warblers.

Target species:

Golden Pheasant, Fujian Niltava, Lesser Cuckoo, Marten’s Warbler, Brown Dipper, Yellow‑throated Bunting, Chinese Babax plus common forest species.

Overnight: Wolong

Day 9 | Wolong & Lama Temple area

This area will offer chances for Slaty Bunting and Vinaceous Rosefinch; further encounters with Golden Pheasant are likely alongside assorted flycatchers and grosbeaks.

Target species:

Gengda: Barred Laughingthrush, White‑collared Yuhina, Stripe‑throated Yuhina, Blue‑winged Minla, Southern Nutcracker, Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, Indian Blue Robin, Grey‑winged Blackbird.

Lama Temple: Slaty Bunting, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Golden Pheasant, Necklaced Woodpecker, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Chestnut‑flanked White‑eye, Collared Finchbill, Spot‑winged Grosbeak, Oriental Greenfinch.

Overnight: Wolong

Day 10‑11 | Mengbi Mountain (Mengbi Shan) Coniferous Forest

We will carry out two in‑depth field days across different elevation bands in Mengbi Mountain’s old‑growth conifer forest, one of Sichuan’s premier birding locations. Top priorities will be Chestnut‑throated Monal‑Partridge, White Eared‑Pheasant and Blood Pheasant. We will allocate substantial search time for the highly sought‑after, skittish Sichuan Jay.

Target birds: Sichuan Jay, White Eared‑Pheasant, Chestnut‑throated Monal‑Partridge, Collared Grosbeak, Black Woodpecker, Tibetan Serin, Long‑tailed Thrush, White‑throated Needletail, Asian House Martin;

Bearded Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Przevalski’s Nuthatch, multiple rosefinches, White‑winged Grosbeak, Maroon‑backed Accentor, Blanford’s Rosefinch.

Possible mammals: Chinese Goral, Moupin Pika

En‑route: Wallcreeper, Chinese Long‑tailed Rosefinch, Little Forktail, Blue Whistling‑Thrush, Blue Rock‑Thrush, multiple redstart species, Claudia’s Leaf Warbler, Hill Pigeon.

Overnight: Maerkang

Day 12 | Maerkang → Ruoergai Plateau (Przevalski’s Finch habitat)

After Morning birding in the Mengbishan, we’ll head for Przevalski’s Finch (Pinktail Rosefinch) in Ruo’ergai, as well as the Tibetan Partridge and White‑browed Tit‑sparrow, etc.

Targets: Tibetan Partridge, White‑browed Tit, White‑backed Thrush, Dusky Warbler, Oriental Reed Warbler, Pale Martin, Giant Grey Shrike, Azure‑winged Magpie, Black‑rumped Magpie, Daurian Jackdaw, Black‑winged Snowfinch, Black‑necked Crane, Salim Ali’s Pacific Swift.

Overnight: Ruoergai

Day 13 | Ruoergai Flower Lake → Ruoergai

We will bird from the boardwalks at Flower Lake Nature Reserve in the morning. Afterwards we travel towards Chuanzhusi.

Targets: Spotted Bush Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Yellow‑streaked Warbler, Long‑tailed Thrush, White‑winged Grosbeak, White‑cheeked Laughingthrush, White‑bellied Redstart.

On the plateau: White‑rumped Snowfinch, Rufous‑necked Snowfinch, Tibetan Lark, Horned Lark, Ground Tit, Twite, Upland Buzzard.

Wetland highlights: Black‑necked Crane, Brown‑cheeked Rail, Bar‑headed Goose, Whooper Swan, Ferruginous Duck, Red‑crested Pochard, Common Pochard, White‑winged Tern, Whiskered Tern.

Possible mammals: Tibetan Fox, Kiang (Tibetan Wild Ass) and Tibetan Gazelle

Overnight: Ruo’ergai

Day 14‑15 | Chuanzhusi & Baxi Forest Zone

We will spend two full field days exploring Baxi’s high‑elevation forest and the site for Chinese Grouse. We will also search for Snow Partridge, a suite of laughingthrushes and multiple rosefinch species. We will scan overhead for large raptors including Bearded Vulture, Himalayan Griffon and Golden Eagle. We will spend extended time along river‑valley reed‑beds searching for the hard‑to‑find Spectacled Parrotbill. Our daily rhythm will follow birds’ dawn‑and‑dusk activity patterns.

Targets: Chinese Grouse, Blue Eared‑Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, Grey‑headed Woodpecker, Three‑banded Rosefinch, Chinese White‑browed Rosefinch, Chinese Fulvetta, leaf‑warblers (Sichuan, Large‑billed Leaf, Greenish, Hume’s Leaf, Bianchi’s, plus potential singing Gansu Leaf Warbler). Raptors: Bearded Vulture, Himalayan Vulture, Golden Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Przevalski’s Nuthatch. Laughingthrushes: Snowy‑cheeked, Pere David’s, Elliot’s Laughingthrush. Thrushes: Chestnut Thrush, White‑backed Thrush. Redstarts: Eastern Black Redstart, Hodgson’s Redstart, Common Cuckoo. Ural Owl (formerly known as Sichuan Wood Owl or Pere David’s Owl).

Overnight: Chuanzhusi

Day 16 | Chuanzhusi → Chengdu

We will wrap up searches for remaining target species around Chuanzhusi in the morning before heading south back to Chengdu.

The tour will conclude upon arrival in Chengdu in the late afternoon‑evening; participants will be able to take late evening‑departure flights.

Physical Requirement

The tour mainly involves roadside stops and short forest trails. Multiple sections will be at high altitude; participants will need reasonable fitness and basic high‑altitude adaptation capacity.

Accommodation

We will stay in consistently comfortable hotels; well‑reviewed local inns will be used in remote plateau towns.