Early this month I participated in a training session for Chinese park
professionals in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province after which I was able to
spend a 24-hour period in the Xischuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, a
900 ha research site about 2 hours SE of Jinghong, fairly close to the
Myanmar border, in a tropical rainforest setting.
The garden is beautifully laid out with well maintained pathways and
interpretive signs as well as comfortable overnight accommodations. In a
late afternoon and early morning tour I saw the following birds all of which
(except the Red-whiskered bulbul) were life birds for me.
Striped-tit babbler
Blue-throated barbet
Coppersmith barbet
Ash-throated bulbul
Red-whiskered bulbul (by far the most numerous)
Black-crested bulbul
Violet cuckoo
Bronzed Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Plain flowerpecker
Hill Blue flycatcher
Red-throated flycatcher
Asian Paradise flycatcher
Eurasian hoopoe
Common lora
Greater lora
Gray-chinned minivet
White-rumped munia
Barn owl
Collared scops owl
Olive-backed pipet
Oriental magpie robin
White-rumped shama
Chestnut-tailed starling (observed courtship displays)
Crimson sunbird (observed nest building)
Striated swallow
Asian palm swift
Yellow-browed warbler
Oriental white-eye

The Xischuangbanna area is great for birding with some 500 species listed
and several national parks and reserves close by. Its about a 2 hour flight
from Kunming to Jinghong after which modern highways and toll roads can get
you almost everywhere. Birding is becoming popular among the growing Chinese
middle class along with an increased concern about China?s natural
environment.

Gary Cummins
Port Townsend
casacummins at yahoo.com