Balangshan is the best place to watch tragopans and pheasants in Sichuan Province. Balangshan is located in Wolong Nature Reserve in between Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau by southwest side of Qionglaishan Mountain Range in Ngawa Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It takes around 3-4 hours’ drive from Chengdu on decent road.
Balangshan
Wolong Nature Reserve was first funded by 1963 and was one of the first nature reserves ever set up in China. Wolong Nature Reserve is one of the biggest nature reserves in China and the biggest reserve in Sichuan Province with probably the hardest access and terrain while the most diverse species. It is home to the famous giant pandas, golden snub-nose monkeys, takins etc. Some 10% of all the wild pandas live here in the mountains, hence the name “hometown of pandas”.
Balangshan above 4000m
Balangshan is located in this nature reserve and is a famous and one of the important bird-watching places in China. Balangshan is actually located by the bordering place of Xiaojin County, Wenchuan County and Baoxing County. The highest point of Balangshan is at over 5000m while the lowest is below 2000m. Abve 4000m there are no trees. The road from Chengdu will go over the mountain and use the newly-built tunnel to get to Mt. Siguniang on the other side of Balangshan. Bird-watching is mainly on this side of Balangshan where it is lush and has a much bigger change of altitude from below 2000m to over 4000m.
According to the rangers from Wolong Nature Reserve, there are total around 330 kinds of birds recorded in Balangshan. It seems there is a highly mixed birds record here including common swift that is usually seen in northern China; or Chinese Monal, Snow Partridge, Tibetan snowcock, chestnut-throated partridge, Alpine accentor, plain mountain finch, Brandt’s mountain finch and some rosefinches that are clearly the species of Tibetan Palteau; or Eurasian treecreeper, bull-headed shrike that are usually seen in northern China; or the native Chinese monal, Chinese grouse; or babblers, minivets and sunbirds.
Grandala
Drive along the road towards Balangshan we shall see the vegetation changes from thick forest of broadleaf, pine or mix of broadleaf and pine, to bushes then to shorter bushes then to just grass and then to basically rocks at above 4500m. Bird species change in accordance with vegetation. This altitude change is the reason why there are so many different birds here. In our local bird community we usually say the excitement one pheasant brings to bird-watchers worth that from 10 other birds. This shows how important Balangshan is to bird-watchers.
Birding trip to Balangshan is basically along the Panda Avenue and the old S303 Road.
Birding by Balangshan is straightforward without complicated planning or routes. It starts by Wolong town and drive along the Panda Avenue, the only and single road, from lower altitude by around 1900m to higher altitude to above 4000m and make stops along the way at Lama Temple(2000m -2300m), Wuyi Hut(2050m-2400m), Sandao Bridge(2200m-2500m), Dengshan Valley (2800m-3000m), Beimuping(3350m-3650m), Huanyanzi Tunnel (3500m) and the old S303 Road(3850m and above).
Blood Pheasant
From Wolong town to Dengsheng Valley is the low altitude part, from Beimuping to Huayanzi Tunnel is the middle altitude part, from the old S303 road and above is the high altitude part. Three different natural environment will make you feel like went to three different places each with its unique feature and different birds.
Temminck’s tragopan, golden pheasant, hill pigeon, grey nightjar, Himalayan owl, long-tailed minivet, Grey-backed shrike, spotted nutcracker, grey-headed canary-flycatcher, rufous-vented tit, grey crested tit, Sichuan tit, Hodgson's treecreeper, pygmy cupwing, ashy-throated warbler, Sichuan leaf warbler, Kloss’s leaf warbler, alpine leaf warbler, plain-tailed warbler, Emei Shan warbler, black-browed bushtit, sooty bushtit, barred laughingthrush, Chinese babax, chestnut thrush, verditer flycatcher, Indian blue robin, firethroat, slaty-backed flycatcher, Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, grey-headed bullfinch, slaty bunting.
Temminck’s tragopan
In general, birds by low altitude are not the main target for a trip to Balangshan since most of the birds are also seen in some other similar natural place and locations in southwest China except Indian blue robin and firethroat, which are almost only seen during mating season. We normally recommend to have more time to explore higher altitude birds.
Firethroat
Lama Temple
Lama Temple is the usually the first stop on a trip to Balangshan. It is only around 15 minutes’ drive from the town of Wolong. From there we go up the small track towards Lama Temple. It is not a long track. Normally we can see the noisy Chinese babax in the open field, yellowish alpine leaf warbler and in the forest we may see chestnut thrush and slaty bunting searching food in dark forest or on the ground. Lama Temple is located by the end of the track. There is chance to see the common southwestern forest birds including verditer flycatcher, Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird and other tits. If traveling during spring time, there is also high chance to see Claudia’s leaf warbler, Sichuan leaf warbler and plain-tailed warbler. If we come in the early morning we also have chance to see golden pheasant or Temminck’s tragopan. By night you can hear the sound of Himalayan owl and grey nightjar.
Indian blue robin
Wuyi Hut
The next stop is Wuyi Hut. Wuyi Hut may not be available during certain seasons because it is a check point when sometimes people are not allowed to go in. The way to go in is not an easy one. If we to go all the way to the end we will need to ascend for almost 1000m in 10km and back in a day. Although normally we don’t need to go all the way to the end. The highlight birds of Wuyi Hut include firethroat, Indian blue robin and barred laughingthrush.
Barred laughingthrush
Sandao Bridge and Dengsheng Valley
These two places are also good locations to see birds. Normally the birds are similar to the former locations although by Dengsheng there is a small river that you may see dippers or even red pandas.
Snow Partridge, blood pheasant, Chinese monal, Temminck’s tragopan, white eared pheasant, koklass, chestnut-throated partridge, snow pigeon, bearded vulture, Himalayan vulture, cinereous vulture, golden eagle, red-billed chough, Baikal bush warbler, Asian house martin, Hume’s leaf warbler, buff-barred warbler, Bianchi’s warbler, yellow-bellied bush warbler, Chinese fulvetta, giant laughingthrush, black-faced laughingthrush, Kessler’s thrush, golden bush robin, white-throated redstart, collared grosbeak, white-winged grosbeak, common rosefinch, vinaceous rosefinch, crimson-browed finch, streaked rosefinch, Chinese white-browed rosefinch, dark-breasted rosefinch, red-fronted rosefinch.
This part the altitude is between 3000m and 3500m with less-dense forest and lush bushes to shrubs including rhododendron bushes. From here the bird species become different than the birds that live at lower altitude and start to have birds that are from higher altitude. Beimuping is a car stop where most of the travelers will make a stop to take photos or use toilet before going further to Mt. Siguniang. From Beimuping we start to have chance to see pheasants. The pheasants and tragopans move around at higher altitude during day time and go back to the rhododendron trees by evening. If we to stay there quiet and long enough we have chance to see blood pheasant, golden pheasant, Temminck’s tragopan, chestnut-throated partridge and koklass or even Chinese monal. Former trips to Beimuping have recorded even Sichuan thrush.
Chestnut-throated partridge
From Beimuping to Huayanzi Tunnel is one of the best places to look for pheasants. Here we have a high chance to see chestnut-throated partridge, Chinese monal and white eared pheasants. The only issue with this part is the way is steep and has cars coming and going on the winding road. Bird-watchers should watch out the cars as well.
Koklass
Huayanzi Tunnel may be the best place or the most easily-accessed place to watch Chinese monal, the beautiful and China unique big bird. Chinese monal is usually on the top list of the birds to be searched for many bird-watchers while traveling here.
White-eared pheasant
Exact location of bird-watching by Huayanzi Tunnel is by the deserted road outside of the tunnel that no one ever goes there anymore. Road that makes our travel more convenient also limited the birds’ moving. Thanks to the tunnel, the many birds can use the upside of the tunnel to move up and down the mountain, giving bird-watchers the perfect and concentrated chance to watch them. It is actually a perfect place: no cars, no people. Here we can see usually blood pheasant, Temminck’s tragopan, chestnut-throated partridge, koklass, Chinese monal. These birds could be anywhere when you wait there long enough.
Collared grosbeak
Bird-watch normally starts before it gets light. While at such altitude it is quite cold in early morning. Recommended to prepare for yourself warm clothing such as jackets, warm hats and even gloves. While waiting it won’t get boring since there are other birds there such as giant laughingthrush, black-faced laughingthrush, golden bush robin, white-throated redstart, collared grosbeak, white-winged grosbeak, common rosefinch, vinaceous rosefinch, crimson-browed finch. White-capped redstart, Chinese white-browed rosefinch and dark-breasted rosefinch are almost everywhere.
Bearded vulture
When the temperature rises please don’t forget to look up as well where in the sky we may see some big birds such as Himalayan vulture, bearded vulture, golden eagle, etc.
Tibetan snowcock, blood pheasant, Snow Partridge, white eared pheasant, Tibetan partridge, snow pigeon, Himalayan vulture, bearded vulture, golden eagle, Grey-backed shrike, red-billed chough, yellow-billed chough, giant laughingthrush, white-throated dipper, grandala, Kessler’s thrush, Chinese rubythroat, Alpine accentor, rufous-breasted accentor, rosy pipit, pink-rumped rosefinch, streaked rosefinch, red-fronted rosefinch, plain mountain finch, Brandt’s mountain finch.
There is only one road here that leads to Mt. Siguniang over Balangshan. From 2017 the newly-built tunnel has made the older S303 obsolete and from 2021 local rangers have blocked the road during winter and spring season due to heavy snow. The old road has become basically inaccessible for most of the year by cars, making it a better place for bird-watching. The new road will split by around 3850m and goes through the 8km tunnel through Balangshan. From around 3800m the vegetation becomes less to barely just grass with some places short shrubs, which somehow some pheasants like to raise next generations at.
Snow Partridge
Among the walking big birds, Snow Partridge is a beautiful one. They are like the Tibetan snowcock and Tibetan partridge, they like to search food by sides of the road in the open land on the ground. They wear very good camouflage so if they stay still it is really hard to see them. Although the white eared pheasants usually move in small flocks that they are relatively easier to be spotted due to their white color. Grandala is very unique due to its sharp blue color that has brought excitement t to bird-watchers every time. Red-fronted rosefinch are also interesting to watch.
Red-fronted rosefinch
By road stop at “Top of Panda Kingdom” by the old road we can see Alpine accentor, Brandt’s mountain finch and yellow-billed chough. In low rhododendron shrubs there are Chinese rubythroat, alpine leaf warbler, rufous-breasted accentor and rosy pipit, etc.
Brandt’s mountain finch
Chinese rubythroat
Keep going up is the former Balangshan Road Pass at around 4500m. While watching birds do not forget how beautiful the natural views are when you are at a high altitude place where you can see the sea of cloud below you and the big mountains. The upper part of this trip at above 3800m is at high altitude place where precautions for mountain sickness are recommended to be taken to avoid possible mountain sickness.
Keep going up is the former Balangshan Road Pass at around 4500m. While watching birds do not forget how beautiful the natural views are when you are at a high altitude place where you can see the sea of cloud below you and the big mountains. The upper part of this trip at above 3800m is at high altitude place where precautions for mountain sickness are recommended to be taken to avoid possible mountain sickness.
There is chance to see other wild animals on a trip to Balang. They are red pandas, leopard cats, Chinese gorals, deers, fox, badger, mountain weasels, pikas, marmots, Himalayan blue sheep, etc.
Leopard cat
Chinese goral
Bird-watching Season
The best season to watch birds by Balangshan is spring time from May when the birds are busy getting laid when they tend to show themselves, providing the best chance to see most of the birds especially the shy ones. Also from May it gets warm and basically no chance of heavy snow that will block the road or make the road dangerous to drive or so. Temperature is well between 10C-25C with early morning colder maybe below 10C during certain years.
High Altitude
There is chance people who travel here suffer from different levels of altitude sickness. It is normal when you have symptoms such as slight headache, which will usually go away as your body acclimates. But please make sure you are with decent physical condition especially without sever heart or lung problems. Precautions are necessary to avoid getting altitude sickness, including:
Clothing
The difference of daytime and night time temperature at Balangshan are very big. You are strongly recommended to have your warm clothes ready and handy especially in the early morning and in the evening. Warm clothes and warm jackets are recommended. Rainproof, gloves, warm hats or even scarves are also recommended. Hats, sun blocks and sunglasses are also necessary to protect you from the sun or when walking in the snow. You are recommended to wear strong walking boots for trip to Balangshan to make sure your feet are well-protected on difficult terrain.
Accommodation and Food
There are plenty of restaurants available from Gengda to Wolong that are set up for travelers. Most of the restaurants are good some even provide barbecue. Places above Dengsheng do not have restaurants available only some food stalls during busy travel seasons. While watching birds you need to pack something for lunch and this is recommended to be prepared and sorted before you start your trip. In the super markets and shops in Chengdu you can find snacks you like while in the town of Wolong or Gengda the snacks and shops are very limited.
For accommodation there are two options, one is at lower altitude by Wolong town at 1800m where there are less options and are more basic guesthouses but still okay and clean. The other options to drive further to Siguniang, a very popular tourist mountain park in China that has lots of accommodations available even with some boutique and comfortable hotels or guesthouses. The elevation by Siguniang is at 3000m, a much better acclimating place for overnight than Wolong considering you need to go high up to over 4000m. When you aim for the low altitude birds then stay by Wolong when aim for high altitude birds when stay in Siguniang. Normally a trip will include both low altitude and high altitude birds.
Sichuan Travel Guide provides service for bird-watching tours to Balangshan including transfer, guide, accommodations and other arrangement. Please contact us for details.
