With 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. The Bird-Photo-Tours Asia Parrotbill expedition will traverse four Provinces: Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. This Bird-Photo-Tour will start in Chengdu in Sichuan Province and end in Shanghai. We will spend 12-days in Sichuan looking for close photographic encounters with 9-Parrotbill species, before taking a domestic flight to Yunnan Province where we will spend 9-days focussing on 4-Parrotbill species at which point the trip ends. There is though an optional 8-day trip extension to China’s east coast for the remaining 3-Parrotbill species.
3 Endemics: Three-toed Parrotbill / Grey-hooded Parrotbill / Spectacled Parrotbills.
13 Near Endemic Parrotbills: Great Parrotbill / Brown Parrotbill / Vinous-throated Parrotbill / Ashy-throated Parrotbill / Brown-winged Parrotbill / Fulvous Parrotbill / Golden Parrotbill / Short-tailed Parrotbill / Pale-billed Parrotbill / Grey-headed Parrotbill / Rufous-headed Parrotbill / Spot-breasted Parrotbill / Reed Parrotbill.
16 Species of Parrotbills: Great Parrotbill / Brown Parrotbill / Vinous-throated Parrotbill / Ashy-throated Parrotbill / Brown-winged Parrotbill / Fulvous Parrotbill / Golden Parrotbill / Short-tailed Parrotbill / Pale-billed Parrotbill / Grey-headed Parrotbill / Rufous-headed Parrotbill / Spot-breasted Parrotbill / Reed Parrotbill / Three-toed Parrotbill / Grey-hooded Parrotbill / Spectacled Parrotbill.
Others: Sichuan Jay / Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush / Chinese Grouse / Pere David's Owl.
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 1-7, Sichuan Province, Meishan Prefecture [6N / 5D / 11S]. Arrive ChengDu, Drive east 5-hours, 240km, to Meishan Prefecture. Photographic Targets: Three-toed Parrotbill / Grey-hooded Parrotbill / Great Parrotbill / Brown Parrotbill / Golden Parrotbill / Ashy-throated Parrotbill / Fulvous Parrotbill.
Days 7-8 Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Drive 9-Hours, 450km, from Meishan Prefecture to Aba Prefecture.
Days 8-12, Sichuan Province, Aba Prefecture [4N / 4D / 8S]. Photographic Targets: Spectacled Parrotbill / Sichuan Jay / Chinese Grouse / Pere David's Owl / Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush / Przevalski's Nuthatch.
Days 12-13 Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Drive 9-Hours, 450km, from Aba Prefecture to Mianyang Airport.
Days 13-14, Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Domestic Flights, Mianyang to Kunming / Kunming – Tengchong. Drive 3-hours from Tengchong Airport to Dehong Prefecture.
Days 14 -18, Yunnan Province, Dehong Prefecture [4N / 4D / 7S]. Photographic Targets: Rufous-headed Parrotbill / Pale-billed Parrotbill.
Days 18-19, Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Drive 7-hours, 325 km from Dehong to Baoshan Prefecture.
Days 19-22, Yunnan Province, Baoshan Prefecture [3N / 3D / 6S]. Photographic Targets: Spot-breasted Parrotbill / Brown-winged Parrotbill / Grey-headed Parrotbill.
Days 22-23, Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Domestic Flights: Baoshan – Kunming / Kunming – Hangzhou Prefecture [END].
Extension
Days 1-3, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Prefecture [2N / 2D / 4S]. Photographic Target: Short-tailed Parrotbill.
Days 3-4, Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Drive 5-hours, 425km from Hangzhou to Yangcheng Prefecture
Days 4-7, Jiangsu Province, Yancheng [3N / 3D / 6S]. Photographic Targets: Reed Parrotbill / Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Days 7-8, Shanghai Pudong [1N / 1D / 3S]. Drive 4-hours, 350km from Yancheng Prefecture to Shanghai Pudong [Overnight: Shanghai Pudong].
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Liew is a nature lover who enjoys photographing the natural world in all its glory from landscapes to flora and fauna. Liew started enjoying birds twenty years ago through the prism of his camera and has since become a reputable bird photographer graduating from using a 200mm lens to a 100-400mm lens onto a large 600mm. With patience and significant time spent in the field photographing birds, Liew is now one of our top bird photography guides in Peninsular Malaysia with a portfolio of images that includes the rare Malayan Rail Babbler, Giant Pitta and Garnet Pitta. Outside of Peninsular Malaysia, Liew is widely travelled in Borneo, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Liew is an experienced bird photography guide who can not just provide expertise in finding and locating the birds of Peninsular Malaysia but can also provide photographic expertise too.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is some requirement to hike (iv) Some of the locations are at altitude around 3500m-4500m (v) There is no camping. Summary: as some of the locations are at altitude, this trip has been graded as 'Medium'.
: Sichuan
