Birds of Baihualing, China

First birding trip of the year and my first birding trip to China! Yunnan- a Chinese province close to the borders of Myanmar has one of the most abundant biodiversity and is often called the “Kingdom of Plants and Animals”.

The region in and around Baihualing is at an altitude of 2000mASL and is broadly classified under the Sino-Himalayan Temperate and Subtropical Forest types. The climate is cool and dry from Nov to April and this is one of the best time to visit Baihualing.

Baihualing serves as a base for many birders and bird photographers who visit this region and there are hides setup in over 30 locations to discreetly photograph birds in their natural habitat. Some hides are just off the access roads and are an easy reach while others need trekking through the forest. There are over 500 species of birds here and I was able to photograph ~50 different bird species! it is also interesting to note that many of these birds can also be found in the Himalayan and North eastern- Himalayan ranges of India.

Here are a few gems from Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve- my favourites include Golden-throated barbet, Rufous-throated partridge and Red-tailed laughingthrush.

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