CHINA

Not least because of its ancients cutural traditions, China has always had a particular fascination for Western travellers.

Ornitholidays’ tour to the country heads to Sichuan, a province noted both for having some of the most spectacular scenery in the world and for its superb cuisine!

Bordered to the west by Tibet and to the east by the Red Basin, the avifauna of Sichuan is a mixture of Palearctic and Oriental birds.

We shall be visiting areas first introduced to a Western audience by the French missionary Père Jean Pierre David in the second half of the 19th Century.

Starting south of Chengdu in a little-known sub-tropical forest, we hope to find a range of parrotbills and warblers as well as laughingthrushes including Emei Liocichla.

The stunning Temminck’s Tragopan, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant and Firethroat are three of the mouth- watering specialities at Erlangshan, before we head to Wolong, famous for its Giant Pandas.

On the high mountain slopes towards Balangshan we will search for Wood Snipe, Chinese Monal, Tibetan Snowcock and Grandala, with White-browed Tit Warbler and Himalayan Rubythroat found just over the pass.

Pheasants and rosefinches are amongst the targets in some wonderful coniferous forests before, along the rim of the Tibetan Plateau, we round off our holiday searching for species typical of the high level grasslands including Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Lark and Upland Buzzard.

Our expert Ornitholidays’ tour leader will show you this wonderful and exotic location.

Tang Jun, our local guide, is one of the most sought- after ornithological guides in China and is ideally placed to lead us on what is widely recognised as one of the most exciting and fulfilling birding tours in this continent: do join us!

Get the full itinerary writing to us at:

info@ornitholidays.com

Sichuan & the Magic Tibetan Plateau