HAINAN ISLAND — THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHT
The principal focus of this expedition will be Hainan Island, one of China's most exciting destinations for endemic and restricted-range birds.
We will spend approximately four to five days exploring the outstanding forests of Jianfengling, one of Hainan's premier birding areas. The forested mountains provide an exceptional opportunity to search for some of the island's most sought-after species.
Birds of Hainan in Jianfengling Forest Nature Reserve-> Among our principal targets will be Hainan Peacock-Pheasant, Hainan Leaf Warbler, Hainan Partridge, Yellow-billed Nuthatch, Hainan Blue Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Robin, and many other Hainan-specialist and South China forest birds. Jianfengling's magnificent evergreen forests offer a superb setting for this part of the expedition, and the birding here will be focused on locating the island's most distinctive species as well as the wider assemblage of forest birds. Hainan is not simply another stop on the itinerary—it is the principal endemic-bird destination of the tour.

WHY WINTER?
Winter is an especially attractive season for this expedition. The lower-elevation plains, wetlands and forests of Eastern China are considerably more comfortable to explore during the cooler months, while many important wintering birds gather in large numbers across the region. Hainan's tropical climate also makes the winter months particularly suitable for extended birding. Cooler and generally more comfortable conditions allow us to spend long days exploring its forests in search of its specialised island avifauna.

POYANG LAKE — A WINTER WATERBIRD SPECTACLE
After completing our Hainan programme, we move to Eastern China and the internationally renowned Poyang Lake, one of Asia's great wintering grounds for waterbirds and an important birding area. During the winter months, the vast wetlands of Poyang Lake attract enormous concentrations of migratory and wintering waterfowl. Among the major species we will search for are Oriental Stork, White-naped Crane, Siberian Crane, Hooded Crane, Baer's Pochard, and a wide variety of other rare and interesting wintering waterfowl. The lake's extensive shallow waters, mudflats, grasslands and surrounding wetlands create an extraordinary winter landscape where large numbers of birds can congregate. For any birder interested in cranes, storks and rare Asian waterfowl, Poyang Lake will be one of the major highlights of the expedition.

JIANGXI, FUJIAN & HENAN — CHINA'S ENDEMIC BIRD TREASURES
From the great wetlands of Poyang Lake, the expedition continues through the bird-rich provinces of Jiangxi, Fujian and Henan, before concluding in Shanghai. These regions offer another completely different dimension to Chinese birding, with opportunities to search for some of China's most desirable endemic and range-restricted forest birds and pheasants. Our target list will include species such as Cabot's Tragopan, Reeves's Pheasant, White-necklaced Partridge, Elliot's Pheasant, White-eared Night Heron, Blyth's Kingfisher, Crested Ibis, Pied Falconet. The forest habitats of these provinces are also particularly rewarding for the diverse assemblage of Asian babblers and related groups and we will specifically look for Fulvettas, Laughingthrushes, Parrotbills and other Timaliidae and babbler-group species.

• Birds of Fujian in Fuzhou in Changle, Fuzhou Forest Park & Minjiang Estuary->  White-necklaced Partridge, Fujian Niltava, Fork-tailed Sunbird, Hartert’s Leaf Warbler, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Chinese Pond Heron, Chestnut Bulbul, Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler, Dusky Fulvetta, Chinese Hwamei, Black-throated Laughingthrush, Indochinese Yuhina, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Pale Thrush, Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Black-faced Spoonbill, Tundra Swan, Saunders’s Gull, Relict Gull, Chinese Pond Heron, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Grey-capped Greenfinch.
• Birds of Fujian in Nanping-Sanming-Jiangle-Mingxi-Ziyun Village Hide-> Blyth’s Kingfisher, Elliot’s Pheasant, White-eared Night Heron, Silver Pheasant, Chinese Barbet, Hartert’s Leaf Warbler, Japanese Tit, Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler, Huet’s Fulvetta, Indochinese Yuhina, White’s Thrush, Pale Thrush, Tristram’s Bunting, Short-tailed Parrotbill, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Chinese Barbet, Japanese Tit, Light-vented Bulbul, Chestnut Bulbul, Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler, Huet’s Fulvetta, Indochinese Yuhina, White-necklaced Partridge, Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Tristram’s Bunting. 
• Birds of Fujian in Emei Feng Mountain and Taining County China-> Cabot’s Tragopan, Elliot’s Pheasant, Silver Pheasant,Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Japanese Tit, Dusky Fulvetta, Huet’s Fulvetta, Chinese Hwamei, Masked Laughingthrush, Moustached Laughingthrush, Buffy Laughingthrush, Bull-headed Shrike, Indochinese Yuhina, Collared Finchbill, Grey-sided Scimitar Babbler, Crested Myna, Black-collared Starling, White’s Thrush.
• Birds of Henan in Dongzhai-Lingshan NNR-> Reeves’s Pheasant, Crested Ibis, Collared Crow, Silver-throated Bushtit, Chinese Hwamei, Masked Laughingthrush, Vinous-throated Parrotbill, Swinhoe’s White-eye, Meadow Bunting, Yellow-browed Bunting, Rustic Bunting