Yingjiang Birding Travel Tips

Yingjiang is a tranquil small town located in the southwestern border of China. In the past, we only considered it as a brief stopover on our way to Tongbiguan and Nabang for birdwatching, unaware that it hosts records of over 540 bird species. This number accounts for more than half of the bird species recorded in Yunnan Province and over one-third of the total bird species in China. Yingjiang's bird resources are incredibly rich, with roughly three main birdwatching routes: Yingjiang-Tongbiguan-Nabang, Yingjiang-Hongbeng River-Yingjiang, and Yingjiang-Zhanda River-Yingjiang Bridge. Thanks to the meticulous planning of many bird enthusiasts, we arranged an eight-day birdwatching trip: two days for travel, two days in Ruili, and four days for birdwatching in Yingjiang.

The saying "plans can't keep up with changes" was proven true. Due to weather and over-reliance on mobile apps, our originally well-planned itinerary had to be constantly adjusted.

Caiwu-Professional Birding Tour Guide in Yingjiang County, Dehong

Yingjiang Birding Experience

A popular phrase nowadays, "you live long enough to see everything," aptly describes the start of our journey. Initially, our flight was canceled due to weather. Later, overly trusting the information provided by a mobile app, we watched our plane take off without us, forcing us to reschedule to a flight the following afternoon. As a result, we arrived in Mangshi a day later than planned and had to compress our itinerary to focus solely on Yingjiang.

As soon as our plane landed at Dehong Airport, we drove straight to Tongbiguan, arriving at a small village nestled in the valley just as the sky was filled with a fiery red sunset. After dinner, we sat in the courtyard of an ancient house, sipping tea and quietly waiting for the brown wood owl to appear. Soon, we heard its call echoing through the valley, growing closer and closer. In the pitch-black night, we followed the sound and finally found the owl perched on a tall tree. The brown wood owl stood quietly on a branch, its large eyes sometimes staring at us, sometimes gazing into the distance. Standing silently beneath the tree, a sense of calm washed over us, sweeping away all the frustration accumulated over the past few days.

The next day, we planned a birdwatching route from Tongbiguan to Rongshuwang and then to Nabangtian. Little did we know, as soon as we set out in the morning, light rain began to fall, steadily increasing as we progressed, showing no signs of stopping. Echoing in our ears was the reminder from before we left: the Yingjiang area boasts diverse environments and unpredictable microclimates. We prayed silently for the rain to cease.

Upon reaching the renowned birdwatching spot at "217 kilometers," miraculously, the rain stopped. However, heavy fog persisted, and through our single binoculars, we observed activity high in the trees: grey treepies, long-tailed treepies, crested finches, great slaty woodpeckers, blue-throated barbets, and green pigeon-tails.

When we arrived at Rongshuwang, the rain resumed intermittently, forcing us to take shelter under eaves. Despite this, in just a short two hours, we spotted white-headed babblers, red-headed bullfinches, green-winged pigeons, chestnut-headed bee-eaters, chestnut woodpeckers, yellow-waisted sunbirds, and red-headed trogons.

Two days later, returning to Rongshuwang under clear skies, bird sightings were disappointingly sparse, almost as if we had stepped into another world.

This experience reminded me that in life, we always have gains and losses; sometimes when we lose something, heaven compensates us with something else. We encountered the local specialties: great slaty woodpeckers, grey peacock-pheasants, and red-legged falcons, glimpsing the two rhinoceros hornbills regrettably only briefly, yet clearly seeing the rare species: white-crowned forktails and white-tailed blue robins.

4 Days Yunnan Birding Tour to Yingjiang and Tengchong

Birdwatching and Bird Guides

At some point, bird guides slowly became part of our birdwatching activities. During our birdwatching in Yingjiang, we were assisted greatly by Xiao Ban, the president of the Yingjiang Bird Club. Xiao Ban's balanced approach, professionalism, and strong sense of social responsibility left a deep impression on us.

Perhaps the inclusion of bird guides has made some birdwatchers feel like they've lost a bit of the joy of exploration. However, I believe that everyone's goals, feelings, and experiences in birdwatching are different. A great bird guide not only provides information about birds but also helps us understand the local customs and practices more deeply. They are excellent advisors on local food, accommodation, and transportation, bridge the gap between us and the locals, offer valuable assistance in emergencies, and are great companions during solitary waits.

This trip to Yingjiang not only allowed us to discover new bird species and make new friends but also filled us with new expectations. We look forward to April, when the hornbills are active again, to return to Yingjiang and capture the beauty of these birds, thus making up for any regrets from this trip to Yingjiang.

Birdwatching Points

Jiangqiao Area Birdwatching Point: Target Bird Species: Yellow-billed Tern, Common Tern. The observation area is a sandy field, so it's advisable to hire a bird guide if you're not local.

Daying River Embankment and Daying River Wetland Park Birdwatching Point: From Jiangqiao down the river, you can see some water birds along the river. After disembarking, walk into the river embankment forest, where you can observe and photograph birds such as Blue Whistling Thrush, Grey-headed Woodpecker, and Greater Yellownape.

Ajianpo Ecological Birdwatching Point: Located 16 kilometers from the county towards Kachang, with rural accommodations providing lunch and private shelters at each spot for around 40 RMB per site. Currently, about 20 bird species can be regularly observed here.

Old City Xiang'e Lake Birdwatching Point: Located 16 kilometers from Yingjiang Old City towards Tengchong, it is a typical wetland ecological system environment. Common bird species include White-breasted Waterhen, Watercock, and Black-collared Starling.

Nabang Farmland Birdwatching Point: Located in Wangjiazhai, Nabang Village, about 3 kilometers from Nabang Town, it is one of Nabang's important birdwatching points.

Xima Ancient Road Birdwatching Point: Located 3 kilometers northwest of Nabang Town, it belongs to the forest road of the Tongbi Pass Nature Reserve and is renowned as one of the best places in the country to observe hornbills.

Birdwatching Season

Yingjiang is in the rainy season from May to October. The most suitable birdwatching season is from October to April of the next year, when there is less rainfall, slightly lower temperatures than summer, and fewer active mosquitoes.

Birdwatching Equipment

• Binoculars: A pair of 8-10x binoculars suitable for birdwatching is essential.
• Telephoto Camera: A digital camera with a lens focal length of over 300mm for capturing birdwatching images.
• Bird Field Guide: Contains bird species information and images for easy identification outdoors.
• Clothing: Avoid brightly colored clothing and bring warm clothing or rain gear as needed.
• Others: Carry sufficient food, water, sunscreen, and insect repellent according to your travel arrangements.

Representative Bird Species of Yingjiang

Rhinoceros Hornbill (犀鸟)

• Nickname: Sky Giant
• Viewing Season: April to September annually
• Observation Point: Tongbi Pass Nature Reserve
• Description: With a body length of over 1 meter and a wingspan of over 1.5 meters, the Rhinoceros Hornbill flies closely overhead, creating a mesmerizing experience with its wing flaps that can only be described as awe-inspiring.

Red-legged Falconet (红腿小隼)

• Status: One of the world's smallest raptors
• Birdwatching Points: Near Daying River's 4th-level Power Station, around Hongbeng River
• Viewing Time: Late March to early April
• Appearance: Red-legged Falconet is a tiny (about 15 cm) black and white falconet, exceptionally beautiful. It features brownish color on the throat, legs, rump, and tail underside.

Grey Peacock-Pheasant (灰孔雀雉)

• Status: National first-level protected animal
• Observation Point: Dagu Valley, Xueli Village, Taiping Town, Yingjiang County
• Viewing Time: Throughout the year
• Appearance: The male bird is about 65 cm long, adorned with metallic glossy eye-like spots on the upper back, wings, and tail tips, resembling peacock feather patterns. Females are smaller in size.

Blossom-headed Parakeet (花头鹦鹉)

• Observation Points: Around Yingjiang County town
• Viewing Time: Throughout the year
• Appearance: A medium-sized (about 30 cm) green parakeet with a notably long tail. The male has a rose-pink head and a violet-tinted crown. The female has a grey head without black markings or neck ring.

River Tern (黄嘴河燕鸥)

• Observation Point: Sandbanks along Daying River
• Viewing Time: Best from March to May
• Appearance: River Tern is a medium-sized water bird. During the summer plumage, the forehead, crown, nape, including the crown feathers and the area below the eye to the ear, are entirely black.

Warm Reminder

Since birdwatching typically occurs in the wild, safety should be a primary concern. It's best to travel in organized groups. Birds have keen vision and are easily disturbed, so wear dark-colored clothing and maintain silence. When photographing birds, use natural light whenever possible and avoid using flash, especially with fledglings, to prevent startling or harming them. The premise of birdwatching is to minimize disturbance to birds and protect their natural habitats.
Source from: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_ab9b13230102wbxm.html