It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go birding in Qinghai, China. The Yellow, Yangtze, and Mekong rivers originate in this sparsely populated Tibetan Plateau region. Among the 339 bird species found in the province are the Black-necked Crane, Tibetan Bunting, Tibetan Rosefinches, Tibetan Sandgrouse, Tibetan Babax, and Pink-tailed Bunting.
If you’re going on a Qinghai birding trip, you should visit the five spots listed below.
Datong Dongxia Forest Park
The distance between Datong Dongxia Forest Park and Xining is around 1.5 hours. Evergreen conifer forests are the most common tree type in the forest, with luxuriant plants filling in the gaps and crevices. Small woodland species like nuthatches, warblers, and tits thrive in both of these areas. A few of the interesting species to search for are the Crested Tit Warbler, White-browed Tit Warbler, Gansu Leaf Warbler, Chinese Nuthatch, and Przewalski’s Nuthatch, Plain Laughingthrush, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, Siberian Rubythroat, and Chinese Thrush. Daurian Jackdaw, Rook, Kessler’s Thrush, Chestnut Thrush, Common Rosefinch, Chinese White-browed Rosefinch, Gray-headed Bullfinch, Gray-capped Greenfinch, Red Crossbill, Slaty-backed Flycatcher, White-throated Redstart, Rufous-vented Tit, etc.
Huzhu Beishan National Forest Park
On the eastern border of the Qilian Mountain, Huzhu Beishan is a geopark. Two excellent Chinese indigenous bird species that eat in the early morning on the openings along the forest border are the Blue Eared Pheasant and the Chinese Grouse. The Crested Tit Warbler, Chestnut Thrush, Common Rosefinch, Goldcrest, White-winged Grosbeak, Chinese Leaf Warbler, and other exotic species may be seen in the lower woodland region. You could spot Wallcreeper and Eurasian Eagle-Owl on the cliffs and among the granite crags. In the stream towards the bottom of the mountain, seek for White-throated Dipper, White-capped Water Redstart, Plumbeous Water Redstart, and other water birds.
Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve
Sanjiangyuan, located in the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the south of Qinghai province, is a unique habitat. It covers 363,000 square kilometers and accounts for approximately 50.4 percent of the province of Qinghai, making it China’s biggest natural reserve. It also feeds the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers in China. It features the usual alpine environment and biodiversity seen across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The plant, animals, and marsh habitat of this area are all unique, and the natural ecology has not been tampered with.
In all, 85 mammalian species, 237 bird species, and 48 amphibian species call Sanjiangyuan home. Among the 16 creatures protected by national legislation are the Tibetan Antelope, Tibetan Wild Ass, Leopard, White-lipped Deer, Golden Eagle, and Bearded Vulture. The Argali, Sumatran Serow, Asiatic Black Bear, Himalayan Brown Bear, Saker Falcon, and other species are among the 53 national protected species. The 32 provincially protected species include the Steppe Polecat, Yellow Weasel, Ruddy Shelduck, and others. Naturalists who want to witness a range of China’s most sought-after animal species should go to Sanjiangyuan.
Now that you know where to go in Qinghai, you might want to consider going on Yunnan birding tours. For further information, please contact Alpinebirding.
