Sichuan Province

• John & Jemi Holmes

  | johnjemi@gmail.com

• Number of bird species: 776

  (As at August 2018)

• Number of endemics: 2

  Sichuan Hill Partridge Arborophila rufipectus & Sichuan Treecreeper Certhia tianquanensis

• The Colour Handbook of the Birds of Sichuan

  By Li Guiyuan | China Forestry Publishing House | 1995 | Hardback | 349 pages, Colour illustrations | ISBN: 7503811692 Buy this book from NHBS.com

• Chengdu Bird Watching Society

  Website
  CDBWS is active throughout Sichuan Province and in other parts of western China… Chinese only

• Mianyang Love Bird Association

  Website
  E-mail: rlee@yahoo.cn or rlee@foxmail.com Contact Mr. Li Peng

Abbreviations Key

• IBA Mount Emei

  InformationSatellite View
  Visitors to Mount Emei will likely see dozens of Tibetan macaques who can often be viewed taking food from tourists. Local merchants sell nuts for tourists to feed the monkeys.

• MFP & IBA Wawu Mountain

  InformationSatellite View

• NNR Huanglong

  WebpageSatellite View
  Biodiversity is very rich in the Reserve. Tall arbors and shrubs, vines, herbs and moss constitute a harmonious picture…

• NNR Jiuzhaigou

  WebsiteSatellite View
  More than just spectacular scenery, Jiuzhai Valley National Park is home to nine Tibetan villages, over 220 bird species as well as a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda, Sichuan golden monkey, the Sichuan takin and numerous orchids and rhododendrons...

• NNR Tangjiahe

  InformationSatellite View
  Some of the birding highlights include crested kingfisher, Gould’s sunbird, spectacled parrotbill, golden-breast fulvetta and even Temminck’s tragopan. In addition to this fantastic wildlife, Tangjiahe is also complemented by its scenery of lush forests, valleys and vegetated hillsides.

• NNR Wanglang

  WebpageSatellite View
  There are 62 kinds of animals, including such first class national protected animals as giant pandas, golden monkeys and takins, etc.; 152 kinds of birds and fowls, including blue eared pheasants, Chinese monals and wall creepers, etc.; 615 kinds of plants, including such rare flowers and valuable traditional Chinese medicinal materials as spruces, cypripedium calceolus, rhododendrons, gastrodia elates and toadstools, etc.

• NNR Wolong

  InformationSatellite View
  In the Reserve there are over 50 species of animals and 300 species of birds. The number of giant pandas here approximately accounts for one tenth of the total, and therefore Wolong National Nature Reserve is also identified as homeland of giant pandas…

Click on WAND for tours, guides, lodges and more…

• Alpine Birding

  Tour Operator
  Birding trips here are made for avid birders including yearly-run trips and new China birding trips developed by AlpineBirding team and guided by our bird experts in the best

• Birding Sichuan

  Tour Operator
  Birding and mammal tours for individuals and groups over the whole of China chengduuk@hotmail.com

• China Birding Tour

  Tour Operator
  China Birding is a travel company based in China, Chengdu and Tibet.We do tailor made itineraries for any bird watchers who have an interest in the birds of China: Qinghaai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. We have the experience. We can do tour arrangements for individuals or for for birding travel companys visiting China. We can arrange all your hotels, travel and guiding…

• Parrotbill Nature Tours

  Tour Operator
  We are local Chinese. We came into contact birding tourism nearly 15 years. Up to 2016 we have been cooperating with more than 10 of the best birdwatching companies worldwide. Up to 2016, we have operated more than 150 tours involving more than 1200 birders from all over the world. In the last 5 years we have organised around 30 private tours involving more than 180 birders. We have earned lots of good feedback from clients

• Summer Wong Bird Tours

  Tour Operator
  Summer Wong Bird Tours specialises in China birding tours of Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Tibet & Eastern China...

Click on WAND for tours, guides, lodges and more…

• 2009 [06 June] - Keith Barnes

  Report
  This was our most successful ever Sichuan trip to date, finishing off with 307 bird species for the tour, including almost all of the major Central Chinese specialties, but it was also one of the toughest. We had to deal with some major obstacles and challenges to travelling through this, simply one of the most beautiful and spectacular parts of the world! Most of the participants had been to Bhutan, in it’s own right gobsmackingly gorgeous, and all had to admit that while Bhutan was more interesting culturally, Sichuan took the cake for physical beauty…

• 2010 [05 May] - Henk Hendriks

  PDF Report
  …The hillside behind the deserted Wolong Grand Hotel is sometimes referred to as Sawan. The specialties are Golden Pheasant and Slaty Bunting but a nice selection of more common species can also be observed in the general area…

• 2010 [06 June] - Keith Barnes

  PDF Report
  The breathtaking Blue-eared Pheasant standing in the open for everyone on one of the last days of the tour was an undoubted highlight; while others may say that the sheer numbers of the rare and reclusive Lady Amherst's Pheasants seen several times earlier in the tour were much better. We recorded 13 species of Phasianidae on this tour including eight pheasants! We also had some luck with rarer non-endemic species, such as the incredible Saker Falcon that we found with chicks at a nest! Another major favourite was the regal Black- necked Cranes, we saw 17 of these elegant birds foraging unconcernedly near the side of the road, and were able to watch them at our leisure…

• 2010 [06 June] - Sam Woods

  PDF Report
  Not only did we do well in terms of pheasant species, but the views were spectacular of almost all of them, from the male Golden Pheasant that lingered on an open trail at Wuyipeng, to the flurry of nine Lady Amherst’s Pheasants that were seen during one incredible day, gracing the road up Wawu Shan’s quiet mountain road, to the male Temminck’s Tragopan that used an open breeze block by the road up Wawu as a calling post in the early morning mist, allowing us to admire his intricate patterning through our well-trained scope! As if that was not enough we should also mention the surprise Silver Pheasant that shocked us near the base of Emei Shan early on the tour; and we should not forget the pair of Chinese Monals feeding quietly in a flower-sprinkled alpine meadow up on Balang Shan; or the marvelous pair of Blue Eared-Pheasants that showed up in the spruce- cloaked slopes of Baxi…

• 2013 [06 June] - Frank Lambert

  PDF Report
  …We all heard the endangered Sichuan Partridge, but despite numerous attempts to see one, only Jan managed to get a view of this elusive species through the understorey as it scuttled past us. Another bird briefly seen by a couple of people was Temminck’s Tragopan, two of which we flushed from a tree along one of the trails….

• 2013 [06 June] - Hannu Jannes

  PDF Report
  …The winner of the bird-of-the-trip vote was, by a large margin, the incredible Chinese Monal, which we saw extremely well in Wolong, followed by the splendid Golden Pheasant, the amazingly confiding Verreaux's Monal Partridge and Temminck's Tragopan….

• 2014 [06 June] - Craig Brelsford - Sichuan & Yunnan

  Report
  ...On the Old Erlang Road in Sichuan, spotting, waiting out, and finally photographing a rare female Firethroat, as well as photographing and sound-recording a male...

• 2014 [08 August] - Petri Hottola - Balang Shan & Emei Shan

  PDF Report
  ...Between 1st and 7th July, 2014, I finally had a chance to visit Sichuan, albeit briefly, with a focus on two sites:Balang Shan (2.000-4.600 m) and Emei Shan (1.000-3.100m). The short duration of the stay was intentional.It was a part of a private RTW tour designed to cross the 7.000 species limit...

• 2014 [08 August] - Sjef Ollers

  PDF Report
  InTangjiahe Nature Reserve in Sichuan white-­‐maned serow, Chinese goral and tufted deer could beadded to the list. Birds had to take the back seat on this tour but we still managed to see favourites such as Przewalksi’s pinktail, Ala Shanredstart, Kozlow’s bunting, Roborowski’s rosefinch, Pallas’s sandgrouse, black-­‐necked crane and Kozlow’s Babax. Amajor dip was Tibetan Sandgrouse.

• 2015 [05 May] - Pete Morris - Sichuan & Northern Yunnan

  PDF Report
  Our long run of tours to Sichuan continued with another highly successful visit to what is ‘the heart of China’. As with the previous visit, we tagged on a visit to Yunnan which added a number of additional localized species, and amongst the 350+ species recorded were a vast majority of the specialities on offer

• 2015 [05 May] - Summer Wong

  PDF Report
  After tour Carsten wrote: Thanks for all the nice pictures. Blackthorn, Temminck’s Tragopan and Tawny Fish Owl were among the stars on our trip but I was also impressed by the large number of leaf and bush warblers we saw thanks to your impressive collection of calls!

• 2015 [06 June] - James Eaton - Sichuan & Shaanxi

  PDF Report
  The vast area covered by China is a major birding destinations packed with endemics and localised specialities, but also offering large and diverse species lists. Top among all of these is Sichuan, where stunning scenery, exciting cuisine and magic birding combine into one of Asia’s top birding destinations.

• 2016 [04 April] - Richard Webb

  PDF Report
  Annotated list

• 2016 [05 May] - Glen Valentine & David Hoddinott - Sichuan & Yunnan

  PDF Report
  406 species recorded, the following were just some ofthe most memorable and desirable species seen:Tibetan and Snow Partridges; Tibetan Snowcock;Verreaux’s Monal-Partridge; the spectacularTemminck’s Tragopan; Chinese Monal; White Eared,Blue Eared, Blood, Golden and Lady Amherst’sPheasants; dancing Black-necked Cranes; the rarelyseen Solitary Snipe; sky-pointing Eurasian Bittern...

• 2016 [06 June] - Mike Nelson

  PDF Report
  With newly described species like Sichuan BushWarbler and Sichuan Forest Thrush the list of big hitters keeps getting better. We racked up 13 gallinaciousbirds, fourteen corvids including close views of Sichuan Jay, 11 tits, 27 assorted warblers plus a supportingcast of laughingthrushes, bushtits, robins, flycatchers, redstarts and fulvettas.

• 2016 [10 October] - Stefan Lithner

  PDF Report
  ...Here we eventually managed tocall for a collared scops-owl until it came almost up to us. We also heard Northern boobook owl, butcircumstances did not allow us to see it. During our walk we also found a seriously injured serpent in the gutter,likely hit by a vehicle. It was photographed and retrospectively identified as brown spotted viper (Protobothropsmucrosquamatus)....

• 2017 [04 April] - North Thailand Birding

  Report
  ...The excellent breakfast spread available by 06:00, is not to be missed, especially as included in the price. Collected by Sid at 07:00 and set off toward the Tibetan Plateau. A total change in the weather with overcast conditions and rain - much more the usual Sichuan weather. An all day drive to Baxi, with some roadside scans north of Songpan for Blue Eared Pheasant, of which several successfully located....

• 2017 [06 June] - Craig Robson

  PDF Report
  ...Someofthenumeroushighlights,amongstthenearly350speciesrecorded,were15speciesofGalliform,includingTemminck’sTragopan,ChineseMonal,WhiteEared,BlueEared,GoldenandLadyAmherst’sPheasants,Black-neckedCrane,Black-tailedCrake,SakerFalcon,CollaredCrow,Fire-capped,White-browed,PereDavid’s,Black-bibbed,Sichuan,andGroundTits,TibetanLark,ChineseWren-babbler(orCupwing),SootyBushtit,White-browedandCrestedTit-Warblers,23speciesofPhylloscopusandSeicercuswarblers,36speciesofbabbler...

• 2017 [06 June] - Glen Valentine

  PDF Report
  The provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan certainly offer some of the bestbirding in all of China and,quite simply,in Asiaas a whole. Rockjumper’s 2017comprehensive Sichuan birding tour and pre-tour extension of Yunnan was,as2016’s trip, a mammoth success. Birding our way through the picturesque mountains and landscapes of these two very interesting provinces was an absolute pleasure.

• 2017 [06 June] - Mike Nelson

  PDF Report
  ...bamboo forests of the south we racked up 292 species, with fourteen Phasianids seen including half an hour with a glowing male Temminck’s Tragopan, eight Lady Amherst’sPheasants seen and seven sightings of Severtzov’s Grouse...

• 2017 [06 June] - Sam Woods

  PDF Report
  Sic huan is often the first reg ion of China b ird ers c hoose to visit; and it not hard to see why. Many reg ional end emic s are present and some standout families like pheasants, parrotbills, and recently too, a key monotypic family, Przevalski’s Rosefinch. This is complemented by the fascinating Sichuan cuisine, and a starkly different culture to much of the world.

• 2017 [06 June] - Summer Wong

  PDF Report
  ...Grey-capped Greenfinches very active and in big number, Chinese Pond Heron, Black-capped Night Heron, Cattle Egret, Little Egret flying across above head. Red-billed Liothrix went crazy to the owlet call, 2 Rufous-capped Babblers came with a few Japanese White-eye and a pair of Collared Finchbill. When we were watching at a small group of Vinous-throated Parrotbill on a open flowering land a pair of Chinese Bamboo Partridges walking alone the edge of bamboo...

• 2017 [07 July] - Birthe Rasmussen

  PDF Report
  ...ending with birding in Sichuan province of China between 5th–25thJuly 2017 by a group of four Danish birdwatchers...

• 2017 [11 November] - Tim Melling

  PDF Report
  Our roadside coffee stop produced an impressive list:Daurian Redstart, Yellow-browed Tit, Ashy-throated Warbler, Black-chinned Yuhina, Pygmy Wren-babbler, Grey-sided Bush Warbler, Grey-winged Blackbird, Rufous-faced Warbler, Red-billed Leiothrix and Oriental Greenfinch. A little further on another stop produced Collared Finchbill, Rufous-capped Babbler and White-browed Laughingthrush.

• 2018 [04 April] - Mark Smiles - Beijing, Shaanxi & Sicuan

  PDF Report
  This was a trip with my wife aimed at visiting the main Chinese cultural sites and a return to Sichuan, a province I’d had a taste of in May 2015 when I visited with t wo birding friends from the UAE. Although a little early for most of the returning migrants (most of which I’d previously seen in 2015 ), the timing of this trip proved very successful for certain species (esp ecially pheasants & tit - warblers) which become trickier late on.

• 2018 [04 April] - Summer Wong

  Report
  ...After around 5 hours drive, just before Foping town, we had one stop on the roadside on a slope we got Grey-capped Greenfinches, 2 Vinous-throated Parrotbills, 2 Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers, Darian Redstart, Collared Finchbill, Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler, a male Yellow-throated Bunting, Brown-breasted Bulbuls. Red-billed Blue Magpie, Common Magpie and Large-billed Crow are common all alone the road....

• 2018 [06 June] - Graham Talbot

  PDF Report
  ...in the end the consensus was to go to Longcanggou in the hope of seeing Streaked Barwing, which was the last one they both needed to complete the “Barwing set”. The area was also good for Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and, as I had only seen the dodgy introduced ones in the UK, it suited me as well...

• Birding In Sichuan Province

  Webpage
  ...There are 146 animal species under national key protection here. The province is also a paradise for birds due to the excellent environment. According to investigates, it has recorded 710 bird species...

• Sid & Meggie Francis - Sichuan Birds

  BLOG
  We're a Chinese/ British couple who have a passionate interest in the exiting nature and countryside that's found in the Chinese province of Sichuan. This blog is intended as a guide for those wishing to visit…