: Parrotbills 2025
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, and finally ending the trip on China’s east coast for the remaining 3-Parrotbill species. There will also be opportunities to photograph numerous other special birds including five endemic species: Sichuan Jay / Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush / Chinese Grouse / Sichuan Owl / Przevalski's Nuthatch.
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.
Days 23-25, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Prefecture [2N / 2D / 4S]. Photographic Target: Short-tailed Parrotbill.
Days 25-26, Travel Day [1N / 0D / 0S]. Drive 5-hours, 425km from Hangzhou to Yangcheng Prefecture
Days 26-29, Jiangsu Province, Yancheng [3N / 3D / 6S]. Photographic Targets: Reed Parrotbill / Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Days 29-30, 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]
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 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'.
