Yunnan Province

Yunnan is an inland province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately 394,000 km2 (152,000 square miles) and has a population of over 47 million people. The capital of the province is Kunming, which is Yunnan’s largest city with five million inhabitants. The province borders the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, autonomous regions of Guangxi and Tibet, as well as Southeast Asian countries Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, and Laos. It is situated in a mountainous area, with high elevations in the Northwest and low elevations in the Southeast. Most of the population lives in the eastern part of the province. In the west, the altitude can vary from the mountain peaks to river valleys as much as 9,800 feet. The northern part of the province forms part of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. There is a distinct canyon region to the west and a plateau region to the east. Yunnan’s major rivers flow through the deep valleys between the mountains. The highest point in the north is the Kawagebo Peak in Deqin County on the Diqing Plateau, which is about 22,110 feet high; and the lowest is in the Red River Valley in Hekou County, near the Vietnamese border, with an elevation of just 251 feet.

The province has nine lakes with areas of over 30 km2 (12 square miles). They include Dianchi Lake near Kunming, Fuxian Lake in Yuxi the second deepest lake in China, Lugu Lake, Erhai Lake, Dali etc. It is the source of two rivers, the Xi River (there known as the Nanpan and Hongshui) and the Yuan River. The Hongshui is a principal source stream of the Xi River. Rising as the Nanpan in eastern Yunnan province, it flows south and east to form part of the boundary between Guizhou province and Guangxi autonomous region. Flowing for 345 km (214 miles), it unites with the Yu River at Guiping to form what eventually becomes the Xi River. The eastern half of the province is a limestone plateau with karst scenery and unnavigable rivers flowing through deep mountain gorges; the western half is characterised by mountain ranges and rivers running north and south. These include the Nu Jiang (Salween), the Lancang (Mekong), and the Jinsha (Yangtze), which flow in close proximity in the Three Parallel Rivers protected area.

Lugu Lake – ©User:Doron CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The rugged, vertical terrain produces a wide range of flora and fauna, and the province has been called a natural zoological and botanical garden. It is China’s most diverse province, biologically as well as culturally. This topographic range combined with a tropical moisture sustains extremely high biodiversity and high degrees of endemism, probably the richest botanically in the world’s temperate regions. Yunnan has less than 4% of the land of China, yet the province harbours around 42.6% of all protected plant species and 72.5% of all protected wild animals in the country, of which 15% are strictly endemic to Yunnan. It is home to the southeast Asian gaur, a giant forest-dwelling bovine, Indochinese tiger and Asian elephant. Other extremely rare species are the Yunnan box turtle and the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. It is feared that the Yunnan lar gibbon, another moribund species, has already gone extinct.

The province has 11 national and regional nature reserves and two national parks – Pudacuo and Laojunshan. In total, the covered protected area in China is about 510,000 hectares.

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Yunnan has a generally mild climate with pleasant and fair weather because of the province’s location on south-facing mountain slopes, receiving the influence of both the Pacific and Indian oceans, and although the growing period is long, the rugged terrain provides little arable land. Much of the province lies within the subtropical highland or humid subtropical zones, with cool to warm winters, and temperate summers, except in the truly tropical south, where temperatures regularly exceed 30 °C in the warmer half of the year. In general, January average temperatures range from 8 to 17 °C; July averages 21 to 27 °C. Average annual rainfall ranges from 24 to 91 inches, with over half the rain occurring between June and August. The plateau region has moderate temperatures. The western canyon region is hot at the valley bottoms, but there are freezing winds at the mountaintops.

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The province is rich in natural resources and Yunnan’s reserves of aluminium, lead, zinc and tin are the largest in China, and there are also major reserves of copper and nickel. Historically, the southwestern Silk Road to Bhitargarh in Bangladesh passed through modern Yunnan.

Birding Yunnan

Winter tends to be the best birding time in Yunnan, because most birds move to lower altitudes where is warmer and more food is available. Besides which the birds tend to stay as flocks in winter making then easier to see. From the snowclad 6,000m peaks of Meilixue Shan in the northwest to the jungles of Xishuangbanna in the south, Yunnan boasts every kind of habitat, and the longest provincial bird list in China with over 1000 species recorded. There are many incredible birding sites such as Gaoligong Shan (Baihualing), Hongbenghe, Yingjiang, Daying River, Nabangtian Fields, Rongshuwang (Banyan King), Trail to Xima, Ruili, Moli Waterfalls, Nanjingli Ridge, Tongbiguan, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Laifengshan National Forest Park, Dali (Er Hai & Cang Shan), Wuweisi Temple, Xi Shan in Kunming, Zixishan, Ruili Botanical Garden, Napahai Lake, Sudian, Lijiang Wetland Park, Pingbiandaweishan National Forest Park, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Meili Snow Mountain, Black Dragon Pool, etc. Where do you start in a place this size?

The Western Hills, or Xishan, near Kunming, are a popular area for the capital’s day-trippers, and the woods support a number of interesting species, including Rosy Minivet, Godlewski’s Bunting, Black-throated Tit, and Spectacled Fulvetta. Xishan and Kunming Botanical Garden have diverse plants that provide good habitats for different wintering and resident birds including Red-tailed & Blue-winged Minla, Red-billed Leiothrix, Japanese White-eye, Black-breasted Thrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Black-headed Greenfinch, Crested Finchbill, Brown-breasted Bulbul, Long-tailed Shrike, and Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler, etc.

Collared Owlet Taenioptynx brodiei – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Three hours’ bus ride further west, near the city of Chuxiong, the scenic area of Zixi Shan (Purple Stream Mountain) has similar and less-disturbed habitat than the Western Hills with Collared Grosbeak, Chinese Thrush and Yunnan Nuthatch. Covering about 16,000 hectares in land size, Zixi Mountain is the largest natural park of Yunnan province, the forest coverage is as high as 91%. The park is dominated by evergreen forest and Yunnan pine forest which provide an ideal habitat for many Nuthatches as well as some specials of southwestern China. Over 200 bird species have been recorded here, the most attractive targets here are the aforementioned endemic Yunnan Nuthatch and the rare Giant Nuthatch. Other interesting forest birds indeed including the stunning Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Speckled Piculet, Gray-capped & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Long-tailed & Gray-chinned Minivets, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, White-throated & Yellow-bellied Fairy-Fantails, Ashy-throated, Buff-barred & Black-faced Warblers, Streak-breasted & Black-streaked Scimitar-Babblers, Himalayan Bluetail, Sooty-headed & Mountain Bulbuls, Ashy Drongo and Spectacled & Yunnan Fulvettas. Sometimes, the shy Mountain Tailorbird can be spotted in the lush mixed broadleaf-conifer forest.

Cultural tourists head for the ancient city of Dali, which lies at the base of a fifty-kilometre line of 4000m high peaks – Cang Shan – the Azure Mountains. These slopes support Blood Pheasants near the top, Lady Amherst’s Pheasants in the middle, and Common Pheasants near the bottom. High above Dali the ‘Cloudy Tourist Walk’ at a height of 2,500m provides great views as well as the chance to see Nutcracker, Brown Parrotbill and Chinese Babax, among others. The well-worn tourist circuit leads north to the World Heritage Site of Lijiang, with birding opportunities at Black Dragon Pool Park at the outskirts of town, and Lashi Hai, a wetland 25 kms distant. In the Er Hai area, you can expect some common waterfowls like Purple Swamphen (Grey-headed Swamphen). Among over 200 bird species recorded here some star birds include Black-browed Tit, White-browed, Rusty-capped & Yunnan Fulvettas, Stripe-throated Yuhina, Rufous-capped Babbler, Elliot’s & Spotted Laughingthrushes, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-tailed Minla, Yellow-throated Bunting. With a good amount of work, you also have chances to see Rufous-tailed Babbler and Bar-winged Wren-Babbler.

Chestnut-headed Tesia Cettia castaneocoronata – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Further west, Gaoligong Shan, on the west side of the Salween River, is an area where a spur of the Himalayas reaches toward the wet jungles of southeast Asia. Gaoligong is rated as one of 26 hot spots for biodiversity by Conservation International. So far around 525 bird species have been recorded here. Here there are birds in common with the mountains of northeast India, such as Yellow-throated Fulvetta, Red-faced Liochichla, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Fire-tailed Myzornis and Ward’s Trogon. Some species like feeding on the ground such as Silver Pheasant, Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, Hill Partridge, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Red-tailed, Chestnut-crowned & Blue-winged Laughingthrushes, Grey-winged Blackbird, Long-tailed Thrush, Wedge-billed Wren-Babbler, Grey-bellied, Slaty-bellied & Chestnut-headed Tesias.

While in the dense virgin forests, you can look for Himalayan Cutia, Mountain Imperial Pigeon, Great, Golden-throated & Blue-throated Barbets, Broad-billed Warbler, Bay Woodpecker, Greater Yellownape, Red-tailed Minla, Scarlet Finch, Grey-headed & Spot-breasted Parrotbills, Whiskered & Rufous-vented Yuhinas, Striated Bulbul, Flavescent Bulbul, Beautiful Sibia, Long-tailed Sibia, Large Niltava, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Golden Bush-Robin, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Short-billed & Scarlet Minivets, Yellow-cheeked Tit, etc. In addition, there are some beautiful sunbirds including Fire-tailed, Black-throated, Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird & Green-tailed Sunbird. Moreover, there are a lot of bird blinds in Gaoligong because of the development of the bird watching which give more opportunities to see the above-mentioned species.

Long-tailed Broadbill Psarisomus dalhousiae – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Black-necked Crane breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and the eastern population winters in northern Yunnan Province. The cranes may be seen in winter in northwest Yunnan at Napahai near Zhongdian (Shangri-la), and in northeast Yunnan near Zhaotong at Dashanbao National Nature Reserve (a brisk and breezy 3,000m elevation) and at Huize, a provincial nature reserve, as well at several other sites. Other brilliant species including Black Stork, Bar-headed Goose, Red-crested Pochard, Brown-headed & Pallas’s Gulls, Black Kite, White-taile, Imperial & Steppe Eagles, Grey-backed Shrike and Daurian Jackdaw. Not far from the Napa Lake, is the Shangri-La Botanical Garden where can find some unique forest species on the plateau that include White-browed Tit-Warbler, Rufous-tailed Babbler, Yunnan Nuthatch, Chinese & White-browed Fulvettas, Black-browed, Rufous-vented, Grey-crested & Sichuan Tits, Grey-backed Shrike, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, White-throated Redstart, Rufous-breasted Accentor, White-winged Grosbeak, Streaked, Long-tailed & Chinese White-browed Rosefinches, Grey-headed Bullfinch, Black-headed Greenfinch and Godlewski’s Bunting.

Located at the end of the southwest, Yingjiang is a county that borders with Myanmar. With opulent sunshine, flourishing virgin forests and various habitats, over 680 kinds of birds have been recorded here, which count around over 50% of birds of China. That’s what makes YingJiang one of the unmissable birding destinations in China.  The Hornbill Valley is an important area of Yingjiang, it is an up-and-coming birding site that renowned for the best place to see hornbills including Great, Oriental Pied & Wreathed Hornbills. In addition, there is a variety of pheasants, laughingthrushes, flycatchers including Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Red Junglefowl, Kalij Pheasant, White-cheeked Partridge, Green-billed Malkoha, Crested Serpent-Eagle, Jerdon’s Baza, Collared Scops Owl, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Brown Boobook, Red-headed Trogon, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Blue-eared Barbet, Greater Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Collared Falconet, Oriental Hobby, Long-tailed Broadbill, Blue-naped Pitta, Black-hooded Oriole, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Collared Treepie, Sultan Tit, Striated Swallow, Black-crested Bulbul, Grey-eyed Bulbul, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Large, Red-billed & Coral-billed Scimitar-Babblers, Spot-throated Babbler, Rufous-chinned & Greater Necklaced Laughingthrushes, Streaked Wren-Babbler, Nepal Fulvetta, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, White-rumped Shama, White-tailed Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing and Blue-winged Leafbird.

Golden Bush Robin Tarsiger chrysaeus – ©Bird-Photo-Tours ASIA

Dayingjiang River is also worth a visit for River Terns, but it can be difficult as there are only around 10 terns visit this area every winter. Other species you may encounter including Indian Spot-billed Duck, Small Pratincole, River Lapwing, Coppersmith Barbet, Alexandrine, Red-breasted & Blossom-headed Parakeets, Striated Grassbird, Rufescent & Grey-breasted Prinias, Grey-throated Martin, Asian Barred Owlet, Dusky Warbler, Collared & Great Mynas, Citrine Wagtail, Paddyfield Pipit and Little Bunting. Here the bird hides increase your chances.

Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve covers 241,776 hectares. The well-grown tropical rain forest and monsoon forest in valleys and hills contain one-sixth of the total plant species and a quarter of the total animal species in China. The reserve has recorded c. 430 bird species and subspecies.

Ruili is one of these few places in China that has a relatively intact tropical rainforest system, so is renowned for tropical birds. In the lush bamboo bush and dense forest of Nanjingli, you can look for Grey-headed, Rufous-headed & Pale-billed Parrotbills, Golden Babbler, Rufous-backed Sibia, White-browed Piculet, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Mountain Tailorbird and Spot-winged Grosbeak.

While in Moli Tropical Forest, you can search of Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Streaked Wren-Babbler, Dark-sided Thrush, Long-tailed & Silver-breasted Broadbills, Red-headed Trogon, Coppersmith Barbet, Rosy Minivet, Large Woodshrike, Common Iora, Grey-bellied Tesia, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Rufous-headed & Pale-billed Parrotbills, Rufous-backed Sibia, Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Little, White-crowned, Black-backed, Slaty-backed & Spotted Forktails.

Dashanbao Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve – ©hilloo CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

With elevation ranging from 3,000 to 3,300 meters, Dashanbao Reserve is located in the west of Zhaotong County and is the largest wintering habitat for Black-necked Crane on Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with as many as 1200 present.

Around the small frontier town of Nabang, are some very special restricted-range species especially in the Nabang terrace Wetland and Xima Ancient Silk Road. In Nabang terrace Wetland, you can focus on Indian Spot-billed Duck, Greater Coucal, Crested Treeswift, Asian Palm-Swift, White-breasted Waterhen, River, Grey-headed & Red-wattled Lapwings, Chinese Pond & Striated Herons, White-throated, Crested & Pied Kingfishers, Green Bee-eater, Ashy Woodswallow, Striated Grassbird, Wire-tailed Swallow, Asian Pied, Chestnut-tailed, Red-billed & Vinous-breasted Starlings, Collared & Great Myna, Pied Bushchat and Scaly-breasted Munia.

Laifengshan Park is the largest park in Tengchong where you look for Silver Pheasant, Black-breasted Thrush, Brown-winged Parrotbill, and Slender-billed Oriole, Maroon Oriole, etc.