Sichuan Province
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south covering 485,000 km2 (187,000 square miles). Its capital city is Chengdu, that alone has 10 million residents, Sichuan’s population stands at 83 million. Sichuan neighbours Qinghai and Gansu to the north, Shaanxi and Chongqing to the east, Guizhou and Yunnan to the south, and Tibet to the west. Sichuanese people speak distinctive dialects of Mandarin Chinese. The Sichuan pepper, with its distinctive flavour and numbing effect, is prominent in modern Sichuan cuisine, featuring dishes that have become staples of Chinese cuisine around the world. There are many panda stations in the province and large reserves for them, such as the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Sichuan is the 6th-largest provincial economy of China. Its nominal GDP was ahead of that of Turkey. If it were its own country, Sichuan would be the 18th-largest economy and 19th-most populous in the world.
Sichuan consists of two geographically very distinct parts. The eastern part of the province is mostly within the fertile Sichuan basin (which is shared by Sichuan with Chongqing Municipality). The western Sichuan consists of numerous mountain ranges forming the easternmost part of the Tibetan Plateau, which are known generically as the Hengduan Mountains. One of these ranges, the Daxue Mountains, contains the highest point of the province Gongga Shan, at 24,790 feet above sea level. The mountains are formed by the collision of the Tibetan Plateau with the Yangtze Plate. Faults here include the Longmenshan Fault which ruptured during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Other mountain ranges surround the Sichuan Basin from north, east, and south. Among them are the Daba Mountains, in the province’s northeast.
Riverine Forest – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
The Yangtze River and its tributaries flow through the mountains of western Sichuan and the Sichuan Basin; thus, the province is upstream of the great cities that stand along the Yangtze River further to the east, such as Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai. One of the major tributaries of the Yangtze within the province is the Min River of central Sichuan, which joins the Yangtze at Yibin. There are also a number of other rivers, such as the Jialing River, Tuo River, Yalong River, Wu River, and Jinsha River, and any four of the various rivers are often grouped as the ‘four rivers’ that the name of Sichuan is commonly and mistakenly believed to mean.
Mountain Landscape – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
Due to great differences in terrain, the climate of the province is highly variable. In general, it has strong monsoonal influences, with rainfall heavily concentrated in the summer. The Sichuan Basin (including Chengdu) in the eastern half of the province experiences a humid subtropical climate with long, hot, wet summers and short, mild to cool, dry, and cloudy winters. Consequently, it has China’s lowest sunshine totals. The western region has mountainous areas producing a cooler but sunnier climate. Having cool to very cold winters and mild summers, temperatures generally decrease with greater elevation. Due to high altitude and inland location, the far northwestern areas like Garzê County and Zoigê County exhibit a subalpine climate or even an alpine climate, featuring frigid winters down to −30 °C and even cold summer nights. The region is geologically active with landslides and earthquakes. Average elevation ranges from 6,600 to 11,500 feet; average temperatures range from 0 to 15 °C. The southern part of the province, including Panzhihua and Xichang, has a sunny climate with short, very mild winters and very warm to hot summers.
Birding Sichuan
Landlocked Sichuan Province has long been one of the most popular Chinese destinations for overseas birders. Although the basin around the provincial capital, Chengdu, is polluted and heavily built-up, the mountains at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau are only a few hours’ drive to the west. Here there are species that would be familiar to those who have birded elsewhere in the Himalayas, as well as many of China’s endemic bird species. Clear blue skies, snowcapped mountains and ethnic Tibetan culture all add to the excitement of a visit.
White-bellied Redstart Luscinia phaenicuroides – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
The bird tour companies began exploratory trips to Sichuan in the 1980s. Forty years on, a typical three-week programme has evolved into visits to isolated peaks such as Emei Shan and Wawu Shan, a visit to Wolong/Balangshan, a visit to the Tibetan Plateau through Rouergai and on to scenically outstanding Jiuzhaigou. Emei Shan (‘Shan’ is mountain in Chinese) has a well-developed tourist infrastructure. There are plenty of places to stay at different levels of the mountain. Fit and keen birders can walk from the base (around 600m) to the summit at 3,000m, or descend the many stone steps. Emei can also be tackled by birding around different levels, for example near mid-level Wannian Temple (cable car access to 1,020m) or from Leidongping/Jieyin Hall beneath the summit (at the end of the road at 2,500m).
Firethroat Calliope pectardens – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
Wawu Shan is about three hours’ drive southwest from Leidongping at Emei. Wawu is famous as the place of discovery of the local endemic Sichuan Treecreeper. It has a remarkable summit plateau habitat of bamboo beneath fir trees, although it is very wet and misty in May and June. No fewer than eight species of parrotbill have been seen at Wawu Shan. It is probably easier to see two Chinese endemics, Grey-hooded Parrotbill and Emei Shan Liochichla, here than at Emei Shan – often seen feeding in small groups Grey-hooded Parrotbill is easiest to see early mornings in spring when they call loudly.
The road from Wolong westwards over Balangshan pass provides access to good habitat up to an elevation of 4,700m. Chinese Monal, White-eared Pheasant and Grandala are among the many special birds recorded near the road. The Tibetan Grasslands near Rouergai are home to different birds, such as Hume’s Ground Tit, Tibetan Lark and (in summer) breeding Black-necked Cranes.
Golden-fronted Fulvetta Schoeniparus variegaticeps – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
Jiuzhaigou is a famous, scenically beautiful and hugely popular National Nature Reserve (NNR), still open for business year-round. It is located in the Min Shan, an area with many Chinese endemics. Sought-after birds here include Sooty Tit, Spectacled Parrotbill, Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush and Rufous-headed Robin. These birds may also be seen at the less-visited Wanglang National Nature Reserve, which has a common border with Jiuzhaigou.
Jiuzhaigou National Park – ©B01101050 CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Tangjiahe NNR, a good site to see mammals such as Takin, as well as endemic Golden Pheasant and Slaty Bunting nearby. Although the (2008) earthquake affected a vast area at the centre of commonly-birded areas of Sichuan, it should be remembered that Sichuan is a huge province with many new site discoveries to be made. These days there are local Chinese birdwatching groups such as the Chengdu Birdwatching Society and Mianyang Bird Society who are exploring the many ornithologically little-known corners of the province.
This page is sponsored by Alpine Birding
This page is sponsored by Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA
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John & Jemi Holmes
| johnjemi@gmail.com
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Philip He
Alpine Birding
http://www.alpinebirding.com -
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan
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Number of bird species: 820
(As at May 2025)
Number of endemics: 2
Sichuan Hill Partridge Arborophila rufipectus
Sichuan Treecreeper Certhia tianquanensis
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Avibase
PDF ChecklistThis checklist includes all bird species found in Sichuan , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them. -
E-Bird
PDF ChecklistThis checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide. -
Sichuan Birding
Annotated ListA list based on pubilicly available lists and records and our own Sichuan birding experience. The lists were last updated August 2024
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Birds of China
| By Liu Yang & Chen Shuihua | Princeton University Press | 2023 | Flexibound | 672 pages, plates with 4000 colour illustrations, colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691237527 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Guide to the Birds of China
| By John MacKinnon | OUP | 2022 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 513 pages, 164 plates with colour illustrations; colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780192893673 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
The Colour Handbook of the Birds of Sichuan
| By Li Guiyuan | China Forestry Publishing House | 1995 | Hardback | 349 pages, Colour illustrations | ISBN: 9787503811692 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Jusha
WebpageThe Ultimate Guide to Birdwatching in Sichuan...
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Chengdu Bird Watching Society
InformationCDBWS is active throughout Sichuan Province and in other parts of western China… Chinese only -
Mianyang Love Bird Association
InformationE-mail: rlee@yahoo.cn or rlee@foxmail.com Contact Mr. Li Peng -
Sichuan Birding
WebsiteSichuan makes for a fantastic birding destination. Within reasonably easy reach of Chengdu, and its international airport, lies an exciting diversity of birding habitat....
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IBA Mount Emei
InformationSatellite ViewVisitors 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 ViewBiodiversity is very rich in the Reserve. Tall arbors and shrubs, vines, herbs and moss constitute a harmonious picture… -
NNR Jiuzhaigou
WebsiteSatellite ViewMore 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 ViewSome 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 Wolong
InformationSatellite ViewIn 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… -
NR Baihe Nature Reserve
InformationSatellite ViewBaihe Nature Reserve is located in northern Sichuan province in central China. It is home to some endangered species, including the golden snub-nosed monkey and giant panda. -
NR Dafengding Nature Reserve
InformationSatellite ViewThe southernmost population of pandas live in this area.
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eBird
SightingseBirding This Month
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Absolute Wild
Tour OperatorThis trip covers almost all kinds of habitats in Sichuan, we will visit some very popular birding sites such as Longcangou (close to Wawu Shan)... -
Alpine Birding
Local Tour OperatorBirding 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 -
Bird Photo Tours ASIA
Tour OperatorWith 17 of the world’s 22 parrotbill species present in China, The Middle Kingdom is the place to visit for those Bird Photographers interested in this avian group. -
Bird Tour Asia
Tour OperatorOur Sichuan tour includes birding among some of the most spectacular scenery in the world and takes in the area's fascinating culture and famed Sichuan cuisine... -
BirdQuest
Tour OperatorCHINA’S EXTRAORDINARY WILDLIFE: Sichuan’s amazing pheasants, Chinese Red Pandas and Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys -
Birding Ecotours
Tour OperatorSichuan offers an excellent introduction to birdwatching in China with large numbers of endemic and special species, set in some seriously stunning mountain landscapes. The huge, mountainous province of Sichuan is blessed with a range of interesting habitats, and we will ensure that we visit a representative sample of as many of these as possible in our quest to find the region’s exciting birds. -
China Birding Tour
Local Tour OperatorChina 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… -
China Exploration
Local Tour OperatorSichuan birding tour|wild bird|bird watching-china:A total of about 1,300 bird species have been recorded in China, and over 600 of theses have been recorded in Sichuan.There is also a high number of bird species at least 60 unique to China. -
China Holidays
Local Tour OperatorMarvellous bird-watching tour to Sichuan and the Tibetan plateau, spot two-thirds of China's endemic bird species. -
FieldGuides
Tour OperatorWe return to China for fabulous pheasants and numerous other Sichuan specialties. -
HeatherLea
Tour OperatorChina - Sichuan and Beijing -
Naturalist Journeys
Tour OperatorChina's Sichuan Province is renowned for its diverse landscapes and breathtaking scenery, making it one of the premier birding destinations in China -
NatureTrek
Tour OperatorTour Code: CHN05A 16-day tour to China's Sichuan Province in search of a fabulous array of birds and mammals, including Red Panda, Chinese Mountain and Pallas's Cat, Tibetan Wolf and Sichuan Takin... -
Ornis Birding Expeditions
Tour OperatorComprehensive coverage of the best birding areas across Sichuan! From the high Tibetan Plateau to the forested valleys below, expect some superb pheasants: Blood Pheasant, Chinese Monal, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Temminck's Tragopan, Blue Eared Pheasant, Koklass Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, and Snow Partridge to name just a few! -
Rockjumper
Tour OperatorSeveral trips offered -
Sichuan Birding
Local Tour OperatorBirding and mammal tours for individuals and groups over the whole of China chengduuk@hotmail.com -
Sichuan Travel Guide
Local Tour OperatorDay Tours Longer Trips. Sichuan is one of the best places to watch birds in China. -
Summer Wong Bird Tours
Local Tour OperatorSummer Wong Bird Tours specialises in China birding tours of Sichuan, Yunnan, Qinghai, Tibet & Eastern China... -
Tropical Birding
Tour OperatorWhen people think of Chinese birds, they think of pheasants and parrotbills in particular, and this tour is particularly rich in these bird groups. There are chances at some of the most beautiful of all Asian birds, like the iridescent Chinese Monal, ghostly white White Eared-Pheasant and hulking Tibetan Snowcock among the stunning landscapes of the high mountains. Parrotbills are likely right from the word go, as they even dwell within Sichuan’s capital, and half a dozen species or so are regularly seen on this tour. Other well represented groups on this itinerary are accentors, laughingthrushes, redstarts, and rosefinches. Combined with our time in Sichuan’s high mountains, or shans, will be a side trip onto the Tibetan Plateau, with it distinct culture, and unique birds, not least the elegant Black-necked Crane, gorgeous White-browed Tit-Warbler and Przevalski’s Pinktail, a monotypic family and therefore a must for family listers. If you only do China once, this is the place to choose. -
WINGS
Tour OperatorSichuan 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.
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2016 [05 May] - Glen Valentine & David Hoddinott - Sichuan & Yunnan
PDF Report406 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... -
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] - Glen Valentine
PDF ReportThe 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] - 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... -
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.... -
2019 [05 May] - Mike Nelson
PDF ReportStunning mountain passes replete with Tibetan Snowcock, Grandala and Snow Partridge were met by steep pine stands where Pere David’s Owl, Sichuan Jay, Severtzov’s Grouse and Verreaux’s Monal-Partridge lurked. Huge swaths of bamboo held many desired parrotbills including, Three-toed, Golden, Fulvous, Grey-hooded and Great. Some of the most captivating birds though are the true pheasants and Golden, Koklass and Lady Amherst’s all put on a good show, complimented by Chinese Monal and Temminck’s Tragopan. -
2019 [05 May] - Summer Wong
ReportThis is a Sichuan & Yunnan tour made for Robin and his friends all from USA, CJ from Australia joined them... -
2019 [06 June] - Summer Wong
PDF ReportTour leader : Summer Wong ( Wang Wenjuan ) Participant : David Diskin ( UK ) -
2019 [06 June] - Summer Wong
ReportIllustrated and annotated list... -
2019 [07 July] - Tjeerd Burger
PDF ReportBeing tired of birding in the tropics we searched for something different. China, and to be more specific, the province of Sichuan, seemed to offer what we were looking for. It has an interesting avifauna, with enough (regional) endemics which are difficult to find elsewhere. And, more important, some real gems... -
2020 [05 May] - Summer Wong
ReportThis is a 2 weeks tour tailor made for Vinc Ong who had 1150+ species in his China list before the tour, on this Sichuan tour he only had 20+ targets, so we just focused on his targets during the tour, didn’t aim to see as many species as possible... -
2020 [06 June] - Tang Jun
PDF ReportReport of 2020 May/June China Sichuan & Tibet Plateau Wildlife Expedition -
2021 [07 July] - Steven Bonta
ReportIn July 2021 I made a 10-day trip to the mountains and Tibetan Plateau region of western Sichuan. I was with Kai Pflug, a bird photographer and longtime China resident from Shanghai... -
2024 [05 May] - Max Berlijn
PDF ReportAnnotated List -
2024 [05 May] - Summer Wong
ReportEndemics (36 species), breeding endemics, near endemics and highlight birds we had seen on 22 April – 11 May 2024 Sichuan birding tour... -
2024 [06 June] - Simon Mitchell
PDF ReportThe 2024 Birdquest tour to Sichuan and Northern Yunnan was a resounding success. As well as recording a total of 339 species, we tallied an impressive 163 ‘diamond birds’ – (species with restricted ranges rarely encountered on any other tour itinerary), exceeding or equalling recent tours in both 2015 and 2018. Whilst a few challenges such as the closure of the old road at Balangshan Pass, long waits for the appearance of some target Pheasants at feeding hides and unusually inclement weather around the Tibetan Plateau made for occasionally tougher than expected birding, the group very much rose to the challenge. -
2024 [06 June] - Summer Wong
ReportThis is a private birding tour for Peter, during this tour he got 640 sound recordings of 191 bird species. He added them to our eBird checklists, and also uploaded them to Xeno Canto. -
2024 [06 June] - Summer Wong
ReportEndemics (37 species), breeding endemics, near endemics and highlight birds we had seen on 4-23 June 2024 Sichuan birding tour...
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Sid & Meggie Francis - Sichuan Birds
BLOGWe'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…