: Pheasants 2025
This Bird-Photo-Tour follows China's easterly provinces from Henan in the north, through Guangdong, Hainan and Yunnan Provinces and focusses exclusively on enjoying close photographic encounters with 18 species of Tragopans, Pheasants and Partridges including 6 Endemics. Geographically, this family of birds has evolved with its center being in China and as such this group is extremely well represented in The Middle Kingdom.
Pheasants / Tragopans / Partridges: 18 Species, 6 Endemics.
Pheasants: Golden Pheasant / Reeves’ Pheasant / Silver Pheasant / Kalij Pheasant / Hume’s Pheasant / Lady Amherst’s Pheasant / Koklass Pheasant / Blood Pheasant / Grey Peacock-Pheasant / Hainan Peacock-Pheasant
Tragopans: / Cabot’s Tragopan / Temminck’s Tragopan.
Partridges: White-necklaced Partridge / Rufous-throated Partridge / Hill Partridge / Mountain Bamboo Partridge / Hainan Partridge / White-cheeked Partridge.
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Days 1-6, Henan Province [5N, 4D, 8S]: Depart Shanghai for Flight to Henan Province. Photographic Targets: Golden Pheasant / Koklass Pheasant / Reeves’ Pheasant.
Day 6-10, Shaoguan Prefecture, Guangdong [4N, 3D, 7S]: Train Xinyang, Henan to Shaoguan Prefecture. Photographic Targets: Cabot’s Tragopan / Silver Pheasant / White-necklaced Partridge.
Days 10-13, Ledong County, Hainan [3N, 2D, 5S]: Flight Guangzhou to Sanya, Hainan then 2-hours drive to Ledong County. Photographic Targets: Hainan Peacock-Pheasant / Hainan Partridge.
Days 13-16, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan [3N, 2D, 5S]: Domestic Flight Sanya, Hainan to Tengchong Airport, Yunnan. Photographic Targets: Grey Peacock Pheasant / Kalij Pheasant / White-cheeked Partridge.
Days 16-21, Baoshan Prefecture, Yunnan [5N, 4D, 9S]: Drive 3-hours from Baoshan Prefecture. Photographic Targets: Mrs Hume’s Pheasant / Lady Amherst’s Pheasant / Rufous-throated Partridge / Hill Partridge / Mountain Bamboo Partridge.
Days 21-26, Lijiang Prefecture, Yunnan [5N, 4D, 9S]: Domestic Flight Baoshan to Lijiang. Photographic Targets: Temminck’s Tragopan / Koklass Pheasant / Blood Pheasant.
Days 26-27, Kunming, Yunnan [1N, 0D, 0S]: Domestic Flight Lijiang to Kunming [Overnight: Kunming].
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Steven was born in Gansu Province in northwest China before moving to Jiangxi Province on China’s east coast where he graduated as an International Tour Guide. Commencing trading as a guide, Steven initially focused on cultural tours before moving to bird guiding in 2008. This move into ecotourism was influenced by China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, which in winter is home to 98% of the global population of the critically endangered Siberian Crane. It was a 2008 encounter with that species that proved pivotal and sparked Steven’s passion for birds. Fast forwarding 15-years, Steven is now one of China’s top bird guides, leading tours throughout most of China’s important bird photography locations. Steven’s kind and gentle personality, fluent English language skills, sound field identification abilities, care and thoughtfulness for others, and in particular his strong knowledge of how to support the needs of the bird photographer, have all combined to produce Steven’s strong guiding reputation especially so within the bird photography community.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. Summary: for these five reasons this trip has been graded as 'Easy'.
