birding...

Tropical Hainan Island is the most southerly part of China, and its’ sandy, palm-fringed beaches are popular with visitors from the colder parts of the country. It was visited in the 1860s by Robert Swinhoe and in the 1890s by John Whitehead, who discovered the spectacular White-winged Magpie there. Whitehead died of malaria near the capital Haikou in 1899.

Hainan is home to a number of endemic island races of birds it has in common with adjacent Guangxi Province and Vietnam, such as Yellow-billed Nuthatch and Rufous-eared Laughingthrush.

The National Nature Reserve of Bawangling, four hours by bus from Haikou, is home to the world’s rarest primate, the Hainan Gibbon, as well as Hainan Peacock Pheasant, Hainan Partridge and Red Junglefowl. Closer to Sanya in the south of the island, the more visitor-friendly Jianfengling National Nature Reserve is a place to see Sultan Tit, Silver Pheasant and Ratchet-tailed Treepie.

A lot of research work on Hainan is being assisted by the Hongkong-based Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, http://www.kfbg.org/kfb/text2image2.xml?fid=165&sid=197 with new species being added to the Hainan Island birdlist all the time.

Haikou and Sanya are served by short, direct flights from Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Wintertime – October to April – is probably the most comfortable time to visit.