China: Sichuan

Sichuan province, right in the heart of the Middle Kingdom, is a fabulously bird-rich region, home to the bulk of China’s endemic birds and most of its Giant Pandas. We’ll concentrate on seeing the endemic and near-endemic species as well as sampling the cuisine, genuine hospitality, and dramatic scenery for which this region is rightly famous. Although the wild mountainous terrain and torrential rivers have combined to keep the province isolated until relatively recently, today the impressive diversity of habitats and a well-developed tourist infrastructure make Sichuan a superbly appealing destination for a birding tour.

The great diversity of Sichuan’s habitats, ranging from the subtropical lowlands of the Red Basin and evergreen foothill forests to alpine meadows and dramatic snow-capped mountain peaks means the province has a remarkable wealth of birds. Lying at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, Sichuan also has the richest concentration of Chinese specialties and holds around two-thirds of the entire country’s endemic birds.

We’ll visit numerous sites, each one different and with its own charm and specific bird life: the plateau peak of Wawu Shan and Labahe, a valley that cuts into several of the mighty peaks that rise abruptly on the western fringe of the Red Basin; the town of Luding which we’ll use as a base from which to explore a different set of mountains; Siguniangshan and neighboring Wolong National Park, the latter famed as one of the homes for China’s few remaining Giant Pandas but also renowned as a haven for a large number of spectacular birds; the rolling grasslands at the extreme eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, where we’ll search for specialties such as Black-necked Crane, snowfinches and the bizarre Pink-tailed Finch, and finally heading easty over yet another might pass with its Blue Eared Pheasants and range-restricted Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrushes. Without a doubt Sichuan is the very best of China.