China Pheasant Birding Tour
Endemic Explorer: Crafting Private Journey Designed Exclusively for You
Journey through remote China to photograph its rare pheasants, endemics, and breathtaking natural habitats.
14 Days
SUGGESTED LENGTH
Feb-May
$ TBA
Contact US!
Endemic Explorer China Pheasants Birding Tours take you through some of the country’s most biodiverse and scenic regions in search of rare and remarkable pheasants. This 14-day photography journey begins in Sichuan’s temperate forests, where you will photograph Lady Amherst’s, Silver, and Temminck’s Tragopan from well-placed hides. The route then climbs into the Tibetan Plateau to find the striking Chinese Monal, White-eared, and Blood Pheasants in their high-altitude habitats. In Henan’s quiet valleys, you will encounter the endangered Reeve’s Pheasant and the reintroduced Crested Ibis. The final leg brings you to Fujian’s lush Wuyi Mountains to capture Cabot’s Tragopan, Elliot’s Pheasant, and the White-necklaced Partridge. Combining wildlife, remote landscapes, and traditional villages, Endemic Explorer China Birding Tours offer an unmatched experience for bird photographers and nature enthusiasts alike.
Discover the brilliant Chinese Monal in remote alpine meadows of China
Photograph the endangered Reeve’s Pheasant displaying its long elegant tail feathers
Watch Cabot’s Tragopan emerge quietly within Fujian’s ancient forest reserves
Spot the striking Blood Pheasant in coniferous woods above three thousand metres
Find the elusive White-necklaced Partridge in the undergrowth of Wuyi Mountains
Explore breathtaking highland habitats at elevations reaching three thousand six hundred metres
Wildlife of China: As Endemic Explorer Brings It to Life
This tailored journey captures China’s rarest pheasants in their wild habitats. Set your pace and let us know your preferences for the experience.
All our private tours are highly customizable. Share your travel goals, and we’ll create a compelling itinerary together
Day 1:
Arrival in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Transfer to Pingshan (250 km / 4 hrs)
After arriving in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province and one of China’s largest cities, you will travel south to Pingshan in Yibin Prefecture. Pingshan lies at the edge of the Hengduan Mountain Range, part of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. This region features a mosaic of temperate forests, bamboo thickets, and subtropical valleys—ideal habitats for a number of rare pheasants and forest birds.
Overnight: Deshengyuan Hotel, Pingshan
Day 2: Pingshan
Full-Day Hide Photography
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
Pingshan’s forest reserves are known for offering excellent chances to photograph Sichuan’s most elusive pheasants from permanent hides. The Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, native to southwestern China, is a prized target for bird photographers due to its iridescent plumage and secretive behaviour. Other key targets include the boldly patterned Silver Pheasant and the bright red-faced Temminck’s Tragopan. Also present are several high-elevation endemics such as the Sichuan Partridge and Emeishan Liocichla.
Overnight: Deshengyuan Hotel, Pingshan
Day 3: Pingshan to Xinduqiao
Tibetan Plateau
Pingshan to Xinduqiao (470 km / 7 hrs)
After morning birding, the journey continues westward into the Tibetan Plateau. Xinduqiao, located at 3,600 metres above sea level in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, is a scenic highland town surrounded by yak pastures, alpine forests, and meandering rivers. It is a key transition zone between the Sichuan Basin and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with a high diversity of montane bird species.
Overnight: Xinduqiao
Day 4: Xinduqiao
Xinduqiao – Birding in subalpine Forests
White eared pheasant & Blood Pheasant
Begin early to search for the White-eared Pheasant and Blood Pheasant in the subalpine forests. These pheasants inhabit coniferous woodlands and are highly adapted to cold, high-altitude environments. Later, drive via Kangding—once a frontier trading town on the Tea Horse Road—to reach a remote site that supports the rare and brilliantly coloured Chinese Monal.
Overnight: Homestay near Chinese Monal site
Day 5: Drive to Kangding
Day 5: Full-Day Chinese Monal Photography
A day for the elusive Chinese monal
Spend the full day photographing the Chinese Monal, a high-elevation bird known for its iridescent blue, green, and gold plumage. It is one of the least photographed pheasants in the world due to its restricted range in the alpine meadows of central China. Later in the day, return to Kangding for the overnight.
Overnight: Kangding
Day 6: Wenchuan
Kangding – Wenchuan (330 km / 4.5 hrs)
WATCH THE DISPLAY OF Lady Amherst’s and Common Pheasants
In the morning, visit a site where Lady Amherst’s and Common Pheasants display in a scenic snow-capped mountain setting. The journey then continues northeast to Wenchuan in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Wenchuan is situated near the Min Mountains and features rich, forested gorges that are home to the Golden Pheasant and numerous other upland species.
Overnight: Wenchuan
Day 7: Chengdu
Wenchuan – Chengdu
LAND OF GOLDEN PHEASANT
The focus of the day is the Golden Pheasant, one of China’s most iconic birds, easily recognised by its golden crest and crimson body. This species prefers dense understory in temperate evergreen and deciduous forests. After the session, drive back to Chengdu for an overnight stay near the airport in preparation for the next leg of the tour.
Overnight: Chengdu
Day 8: Chengdu – Xinyang (Flight)
Birding in Henan Province
REEVES PHEASANT
Fly from Chengdu to Xinyang in Henan Province. Xinyang lies at the foot of the Dabie Mountains, a transitional zone between the North China Plain and the Yangtze River basin. This rural area is one of the few locations in China where Reeve’s Pheasant can still be reliably found.
Overnight: Village near Reeve’s Pheasant site, Xinyang
Day 9: Xinynag
Reeve’s Pheasant Photography
reeve's and wetland birding
Reeve’s Pheasant is a stunning and endangered bird, endemic to China. Males have exceptionally long tails—sometimes over two metres—and striking black-and-white barred plumage. Photographing them requires patience in blinds near traditional feeding grounds. If time permits, a visit may be made to a nearby wetland site where Crested Ibis, once nearly extinct, have been successfully reintroduced.
Overnight: Xinyang
Day 10: Xinyang – Sanming
Birding in Fujian Province
(Bullet Train, 6.5 hrs)
Make the most of the early morning for additional bird photography. Then, travel via China’s efficient high-speed rail system to Sanming in Fujian Province, located in the southeast. Sanming is part of the Wuyi Mountain Range and features subtropical broadleaf forests that are rich in endemic birdlife, particularly pheasants.
Overnight: Birding guesthouse, Sanming
Days 11–13: Sanming and Nearby Villages
Explore Sanmings
Pheasants, Tragopans and partridges
These three days will be spent in forest hides deep within Fujian’s protected reserves. Main targets include Cabot’s Tragopan, a shy and brilliantly coloured pheasant restricted to southeast China; the elegant Silver Pheasant; and Elliot’s Pheasant, which is endemic to southern China. The White-necklaced Partridge is another regional specialty found in dense undergrowth. This area offers one of the best remaining tracts of lowland and montane forest for pheasant photography in East Asia.
Overnight: Birding guesthouse, Sanming
Day 14: Departure from Sanming
End of the Tour
The tour concludes in Sanming. You will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. Sanming is connected by air to several major cities including Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, although not all routes operate daily.
Tour Highlights
Key Target birds
Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, Silver Pheasant, Temminck’s Tragopan, Sichuan Partridge, Emeishan Liocichla, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, Rusty Laughingthrush, Golden Parrotbill, Golden Fulvetta, Streaked-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Red-winged Laughingthrush, Himalayan Bluetail, White-eared Pheasant, Blood Pheasant, White-browed Rosefinch, Rufous-breasted Accentor, Robin Accentor, Giant Laughingthrush, Chinese Monal, Common Pheasant, Golden Pheasant, Reeve’s Pheasant, Crested Ibis, Cabot’s Tragopan, Elliot’s Pheasant, White-necklaced Partridge
Tour Cost
4 TBA
Contact us for pricing details
This tour can be organised for individuals or groups. The ideal group size is 6–8. Occasionally, we announce fixed-date departure tours that are ideal for budget-conscious travellers and those who wish to join a group. Please let us know if you would like to be informed when we announce such tours.
Special Notes
Included & Excluded
Accommodation
We strive to book the hotels mentioned in the itinerary. However, if any are unavailable, we will arrange accommodation at similar properties of comparable standard.
Prices are quoted on a twin-sharing basis. If you’re a solo traveller and we cannot find a suitable participant to share the room with, you may need to pay a single room supplement, which you’ll incur when the opportunity arises.
Meals
Only local food will be served at most locations. We encourage you to embrace this as part of the experience.
Wildlife Sightings
While our guides will make every effort to find the birds and animals mentioned in the itinerary, sightings cannot be guaranteed, as they depend on weather, season, and natural behaviour.
Rates Include:
- All meals: breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
- Bottled drinking water throughout the tour.
- All accommodation on a sharing basis.
- All entrance fees as required by the itinerary.
- Ground transportation in a suitable vehicle.
- Services of an experienced English-speaking bird guide.
- Domestic flight from Chengdu to Wuhan.
- Bullet train from Xinyang to Sanming.
Rates Do Not Include:
International flights to and from China.- China visa fees.
- Costs related to money transfers.
- Laundry charges, and additional food and beverages beyond what is included.
- Any other costs not explicitly mentioned in the “Rates Include” section.
Tour Map
Extras & Tools
Read, Watch, or Listen About the Tour
