Grey-hooded parrotbill
Aside from Mt. Wawu, Longcanggou in Ya’an is another great place to watch parrotbills in Sichuan Province. Longcanggou refers to Longcangou National Forest Park. It is located in Yaan by the lower mountains on the eastern rim of Tibetan Plateau. It takes around 2-3 hours’ drive to get to Longcanggou. It hides in the green mountains with elevation of between 1000m and 2000m in very lush forest. Due to its terrain and vegetation, Longcanggou has very cool and humid summer and wet and cold winter.
Great parrotbill
Geologically Longcanggou is located by the foot of west Wawu Mountains in the east part of Daxiangling Mountain Range. It is a cluster of rolling big lush mountains with difficult access due to its terrain: deep gorges, drastic change of elevation. Its rich sub-tropical forest provides the perfect home for many native birds in China and even in Sichuan Province. It is also a hub of many unique species. In the mountains of Longcanggou, the usually wet and humid weather has created perfect conditions for amphibians and snakes too.
Buffy laughingthrush
In spring rhododendron will bloom alongside with Gongtong flower. In summer Longcanggou is a good choice to seek for cool weather for people who live in the hot cities. The small town of Longcanggou by the base is getting popular for visitors who want to come by to see nature. In autumn forest will start to show different colors. In winter it often snows. People have done birding trips to Longcang in different seaons. The elevation by Longcanggou Town is at 900m, the village near entrance of Longcanggou Park is at 1050m. Highest point inside Longcanggou Park is at around 1600m.
Longcanggou is located just near Mt. Wawu therefore the birds we can find here are similar to that of Mt. Wawu. Longcanggou and Mt. Wawu are basically the same place with the same climate, weather, terrain and vegetation. Longcanggou is however less popular as a tourist place. It has fewer people visit there, feels wilder and quieter. It has harder and longer trails to walk but may be a better place to watch birds because of these. Note it is not only the park of Longcanggou that one can go to watch birds, the side valleys around it from the villages there are all good places to watch birds.
Three-toed parrotbill
A big part of China’s parrotbills can be found in Longcanggou. If a birder who seeks different species in China then Mt Wawu (including Longcanggou) will be a place that one has to go. Southwest China has been a major place of parrotbills one can find many kinds of parrotbills in Mt. Wawu and around Wawu. Parrotbills are not considered quiet birds but they like to live in dark bamboo forest. For bird-watching it is hard to spot and take photos of parrotbills due to their habits. Although there are also many other birds in Longcanggou.
Golden-breasted fulvetta
Some birding locations in Longcanggou is unlike other places where birds can be seen at certain locations. In Longcanggou all birds are possible to be spotted given the size of its ecological environment. Although one will also need some luck to see the birds we intend to see.
Birds: Temminck’s Tragopan, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant, white-throated needletail, Himalayan swiftlet, mountain hawk-eagle, black eagle, white-backed woodpecker, bay woodpecker, green shrike-babbler, Blyth’s shrike-babbler, grey-headed canary-flycatcher, fire-capped tit, yellow-browed tit, Sichuan treecreeper, Sichuan bush warbler, Sichuan leaf warbler, Martens’s warbler, Emei leaf warbler, chestnut-crowned warbler, golden-fronted fulvetta, Blyth’s leaf warbler, Aberrant bush warbler, golden-breasted fulvetta, ashy-throated parrotbill, golden parrotbill, red-winged laughingthrush, buffy laughingthrush, Emeishan Liocichla, streaked barwing, bar-winged wren babbler.
Dashiba is a location near the village by the base around 10km into the mountains. It is not a tourist place at all. From spring to autumn one can come here in the early morning and walk up the track in total quiet conditions. Chances to see black eagle, mountain hawk eagle, Chinese sparrowhawk, Bersa, etc
Streaked barwing
Morning is golden time for bird watching especially for Longcanggou where morning is cool while noon and afternoon is hot and the forest is thick and birds are well-hidden. Normally we need to follow the sounds of birds in such thick forest. For bigger birds such as Temminck’s Tragopan, Lady Amherst’s Pheasant that you will usually see them in small groups of 3 or 5 feasting on ground in early morning.
Fire-capped tit
During winter time the forest is less thick when birds sometimes move in flocks. Often there is a difference of active time for birds but normally you should see birds all day. This is why during winter time when doing bird-watch timing is not as strictly required as it is during other seasons.
Bar-winged wren babbler
We have some birding tips for you while in Dashiba. Pay attention to moving black spots on top of the trees by the mountain, they are probably Himalayan swiftlets or white-throated needletail, two quite unique swifts. Listen to the sounds from the bushes and look for different kinds of warblers especially the native kinds including Emei leaf warbler, Martens’s warbler and Sichuan bush warbler.
Sichuan bush warbler
We can find golden-fronted fulvetta, Sichuan treecreeper here that are unique in China that are among the only three kinds of birds that were named by Chinese people. The third one is Nonggang Babbler in Guangxi Province. Sichuan treecreeper has similar habits as other treecreepers that likes to creeping up and down trees searching for food while golden-fronted fulvetta likes to search food inside the mosses on trees. To watch these two birds to know their sounds is very helpful.
Emeishan liocichla
Other than these birds one also has chance to see red-winged laughingthrush, Emeishan Liocichla and Streaked Barwing by Dashiba. Emeishan Liocichla and Streaked Barwing have smaller distribution areas and are usually considered to be unique birds here. Bar-winged wren-babbler, Blyth’s shrike-babbler and green shrike-babbler are difficult to see even though they have a larger distribution place.
Golden parrotbill
By Dashiba there are not as many parrotbills one can see as in Longcanggou. In open field one may see ahsy-throated parrotbill, a close species as the vinous-throated parrotbill. Ashy-throated parrotbill is as active as vinous-throated parrotbill that is probably the easiest parrotbill to be spotted here. In the forest there are golden parrotbill, fulvous parrotbill and grey-headed parrotbill.
Birds: Temminck's tragopan, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, mountain hawk-eagle, black eagle, bay woodpecker, crimson-breasted woodpecker, Darjeeling woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, yellow-browed tit, Pere David's Tit, Sichuan treecreeper, Sichuan bush warbler, Sichuan leaf warbler, Martens's warbler, Emei leaf warbler, chestnut-crowned warbler, Blyth's leaf warbler, aberrant bush warbler, chestnut-headed tesia, golden-breasted fulvetta, Chinese fulvetta, grey-hooded fulvetta, great parrotbill, brown parrotbill, three-toed parrotbill, grey-hooded parrotbill, white-browed shortwing, golden bush robin, white-bellied redstart, vinaceous rosefinch.
White-bellied Redstart
The country road that leads to panda sanctuary is very basic and not very safe to drive in certain seasons. Elevation here is at around 2000m, higher than Dashiba. Around here the birds are different due to higher altitude. During mating season in early morning you can hear bird singing all over the mountain especially the unique sound from Aberrant Bush Warbler and Mrs. Gould;s Sunbird.
Golden bush robin
By midday when other birds stopped making sound some tree warblers kept on singing all day. Most of the time the warblers are high on top of the trees and not easy to be spotted but rather to tell by their sound.
Darjeeling woodpecker
Chinese fulvetta and grey-hooded fulvetta are easier to see relatively. Other than these the Himalayan white-browed shortwing are not easily startled by people that you can often see them bouncing on the ground in the forest. In the trees we can also see some woodpeckers such as crimson-breasted woodpecker, white-backed woodpecker, bay woodpecker.
Brown parrotbill
In general by Dashiba one can see the usual birds in Longcanggou while by Panda Sanctuary one can see the most parrotbills in Longcanggou including great parrotbill, brown parrotbill, three-toed parrotbill, grey-hooded parrotbill, fulvous parrotbill, golden parrotbill. Normally parrotbills are shy birds and not the easy ones to be spotted therefore normally bird-watchers who are seeking these birds need ore patience and plan for longer time. Forest parrotbills only making these trips even harder when the birds like to stay in the deep forest.
Fulvous parrotbill
While searching for the birds in the forest one is also recommended to look up to the sky where predator birds such as black eagle, mountain hawk-eagle, black baza,bersa and even the migrant grey-faced buzzard are possible to be spotted.
White-backed woodpecker
Panda sanctuary is aimed for giant pandas but one has a much higher chance to see red pandas here instead. By this place there are tall trees that red pandas like to hang out in after rainy days. Other wild life include black bears and deers but not common to be seen at near tracks or trails.
Red panda
There are more than just 2 or 3 locations in Longcanggou. The park of Longcanggou is called Diecuixi, meaning Cascading Green Creek. The first golden-fronted fulvetta was found in Diecuixi. The bamboo forest above the village is also a good spot to see parrotbills and other tree birds.
Golden-fronted fulvetta
The villages provide accommodations so you are recommended to stay there to get as close as to nature where birds lives. You may even see some of the birds inside the village as the village itself is built in the ocean of forest. You are recommended to plan extra days to maybe explore more places around here to beyond just the usual birding places.
Pere Davids tit
To watch birds at night is something to consider. Himalayan owl is the usual owls here. You don't need to go far into the forest but rather near the village in quiet night even by the road there are owls around at night.
Himalayan owl
Longcanggou is a four season place to watch birds. Due to its higher altitude the temperature is slightly lower than that of Chengdu. In spring, summer and autumn in the morning it feels cool while during the day it gets warm and hot. Temperature is between 10C and 25C in these three seasons. In winter it gets colder even to below 0C.
It involves waling and some places even longer walking while watching birds in Longcanggou. You are recommended to wear durable hiking boots and long walking pants given the humid and wet conditions. Bug-sprays are also necessary especially during summer time.
By Longcanggou there are plenty of choices for overnight stay inside the village or by the small town of Longcanggou. Level of accommodation is from basic lodges to comfortable boutique homestays. While traveling here you are also recommended to try some local food including stir-fries of local bacon and local vegetable.
Each day out into the mountains you are recommended to pack some food with you either be the simple snacks or prepared lunch for longer stay in the mountains and better bird-watching experience not to be interrupted. Public transport is not easy nor convenient to get you to Longcanggou, you are recommended to drive there or hire a car with driver to get there. We Sichuan Travel Guide provides service such as accommodation booking, transfer and bird guide in Longcanggou from Chengdu.
