: Yunnan 2025
Bird-Photo-Tours Asia’ Yunnan Province Hides / Blinds / Feeding Stations Tour provides an outstanding opportunity to obtain portrait-quality bird images of a large volume of bird species, at least around 100 species. This 20-day Bird-Photo-Tour provides a superb chance for close range bird photography of extremely shy species encompassing: (i) Laughingthrushes, Partridges and Pheasants (ii) Parrotbills, Pittas and Barbets (iii) Broadbills, Yuhinas and Minlas (iv) Sunbirds, Bulbuls and Wren Babblers (v) Woodpeckers, Shortwings and Warblers and much more besides. This Bird-Photo-Tour does also provide for some Wild Bird Photography options including rare species such as River Tern, Small Pratincole and Spot-bellied Eagle Owl.
Baoshan Prefecture: Hill Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Great Barbet, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, Spotted Forktail, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Silver Pheasant, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, Scarlet Finch, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Ashy Drongo, Black-breasted Thrush, Golden Babbler, White-hooded Babbler, Grey Treepie, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-naped Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Red-vented Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Buff-barred Warbler, Black-headed Sibia, White-throated Fantail, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Japanese Thrush, Red-tailed Minla, Golden-throated Barbet, Whiskered Yuhina, Eyebrowed Thrush, Long-tailed Thrush, Himalayan Forest Thrush, Assam Laughingthrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Chinese Vivid Niltava, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Himalayan Bluetail, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Streaked Spiderhunter, Scaly Laughingthrush, Large Niltava, Grey-throated Babbler, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Long-tailed Sibia, Grey-backed Thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Silver-eared Mesia, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Pied Bush Chat, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Golden Bush Robin, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Himalayan Shortwing, White-tailed Robin, Bronzed Drongo, Red-billed Leiothrix.
Dehong Prefecture: River Tern, Small Pratincole, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Collared Treepie, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Rufous-backed Sibia, Lesser racket-tailed Drongo, Puff-throated Babbler, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Large Scimitar Babbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Black Bulbul, Blue-fronted Redstart, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, White-cheeked Partridge, Lesser Yellownape, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Greater Yellownape, Streaked Wren-Babbler.
Xishuangbanna Prefecture: Siberian Rubythroat, Blue-naped Pitta, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Common Emerald Dove, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Verditer Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Babbler, Blue-winged Leafbird, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Siberian Blue Robin, White-throated Bulbul, Blue-winged Minla, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Spot-breasted Laughingthrush, Annam Limestone Babbler.
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 Baoshan Prefecture [6N, 5D, 12S]. Arrive Baoshan Airport, Drive 3-hours to guesthouse. Photographic Targets: Hill Partridge, Rufous-throated Partridge, Great Barbet, Chestnut-headed Tesia, Stripe-breasted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, Spotted Forktail, Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, Silver Pheasant, Black-faced Laughingthrush, Scaly-breasted Cupwing, Scarlet Finch, Blyth’s Leaf Warbler, Ashy Drongo, Black-breasted Thrush, Golden Babbler, White-hooded Babbler, Grey Treepie, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-naped Woodpecker, Rufous-bellied Niltava, Red-vented Bulbul, Daurian Redstart, Buff-barred Warbler, Black-headed Sibia, White-throated Fantail, Red-tailed Laughingthrush, Japanese Thrush, Red-tailed Minla, Golden-throated Barbet, Whiskered Yuhina, Eyebrowed Thrush, Long-tailed Thrush, Himalayan Forest Thrush, Assam Laughingthrush, Blue Whistling Thrush, Chinese Vivid Niltava, Rusty-fronted Barwing, Himalayan Bluetail, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Streaked Spiderhunter, Scaly Laughingthrush, Large Niltava, Grey-throated Babbler, Spot-winged Grosbeak, Long-tailed Sibia, Grey-backed Thrush, Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, Silver-eared Mesia, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Pied Bush Chat, Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Golden Bush Robin, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, White-gorgeted Flycatcher, Himalayan Shortwing, White-tailed Robin, Bronzed Drongo, Red-billed Leiothrix.
Day 7-13 Dehong Prefecture [6N, 5D, 12S]. Drive 4-hours to Dehong Prefecture. Photographic Targets: River Tern, Small Pratincole, Red-billed Scimitar Babbler, White-crested Laughingthrush, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Pale-billed Parrotbill, Collared Treepie, Grey Peacock-Pheasant, Rufous-backed Sibia, Lesser racket-tailed Drongo, Puff-throated Babbler, Rufous-headed Parrotbill, Large Scimitar Babbler, Pale Blue Flycatcher, Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrush, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Barred Cuckoo Dove, Black Bulbul, Blue-fronted Redstart, Spot-bellied Eagle Owl, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Slaty-blue Flycatcher, White-cheeked Partridge, Lesser Yellownape, Coral-billed Scimitar Babbler, Greater Yellownape, Streaked Wren-Babbler.
Days 13-19 Xishuangbanna Prefecture [6N, 5D, 10S]. Drive 12-hours to Xishuangbanna Prefecture. Photographic Targets: Siberian Rubythroat, Blue-naped Pitta, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Common Emerald Dove, Pin-striped Tit-Babbler, Verditer Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Babbler, Blue-winged Leafbird, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Siberian Blue Robin, White-throated Bulbul, Blue-winged Minla, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Spot-breasted Laughingthrush, Annam Limestone Babbler.
Days 19-20 [1N, 0D, 0S]. Domestic Flight Xishuangbanna 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'.
