Day 1: Arrival in Yangon

After arriving at the slick modern airport of Yangon, we will be transferred to our commodious city hotel for the night. Those who have arrived by mid-afternoon will have the option of visiting the massive, gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, a stunning sight, and still a vital center of Burmese Bhuddism. The thousands of House Crows that roost in Yangon’s parks will provide a welcome to Burmese birding!

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Day 2-3: Yangon to Bagan

We kick off the tour with a short domestic flight to Bagan, along the banks of the mighty Irewaddy River in the vast central valley, the traditional seat of Burmese culture. The landscape here is quite unlike the lush forests and fields that characterize much of southeast Asia. Rather, it is a stark thorny savannah that is reminiscent of much of the Indian subcontinent, or even of Africa. We will walk among the countless (there are some 3000!) red brick pagodas that adorn this area, searching for its specialty birds. The Burmese Bushlark and White-throated Babbler are usually easy, whereas the Jerdon’s Minivet and Hooded Treepie can be remarkably elusive. Other targets in this dry zone will include Rain Quail, Laggar, Spotted Owlet, wintering Eurasian Wryneck, Burmese Collared-Dove, Thick-billed Warbler, Purple Sunbird, Burmese Shrike, Brown Prinia, Burmese Myna, and Plain-backed Sparrow. If time allows, we’ll do the classically “touristy” thing and watch the sun set while perched on the side of a carefully chosen pagoda, making for spectacular photos and an unforgettable spectacle. On one afternoon, we’ll take a short boat trip along the Irrawaddy to allow us to explore some grassy islands for species like River Lapwing, Yellow-eyed and Striated Babblers, White-tailed Stonechat, and Yellow-breasted Bunting.

 

Day 4: Bagan to Mount Victoria

This is a long travel day, in which we first cross the Irrawaddy River, then strike west towards the mountains, watching the landscape gradually grow moister, then finally winding our way up to the wonderfully cool pine and broadleaf forest at around 6000ft (1800m). Along the way are a couple of stakeouts for the very scarce White-rumped Falcon. There are also additional chances for the elusive Hooded Treepie if we missed it in Bagan.

 

Days 5-7: Mount Victoria

There is a long list of specialties on this ornithologically storied mountain, though due to rampant hunting, many of them can be quite hard to find. Unfortunately, larger birds like hornbills, pigeons, and pheasants have been nearly wiped out. Nonetheless, this mountain still has the overall “birdiness” that is typical of the Himalayas, and it is a joy to explore at different elevations and to start racking up our targets. Of course the endemic White-browed Nuthatch is at the top of most people’s want lists. But other fine specialties include Striped, Assam, and Brown-capped Laughingthrushes, “Mount Victoria” Chinese Babax, Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Streak-throated Barwing, Gray-sided Thrush, Black-throated and Spot-breasted Parrotbills, Collared Finchbill, Chin Hills Wren-Babbler, Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, and Yellow-bellied Flowerpecker. There is also a long list of more widespread Himalayan birds that are likely to be new for those who haven’t birded in the eastern part of that range. These include the likes of Crimson-fronted and Darjeeling Woodpeckers, Great and Golden-throated Barbets, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Spotted Elachura (which now forms its own family), Himalayan Cutia, Green-tailed, Mrs. Gould’s, and Fire-tailed Sunbirds, Gray Sibia, White-browed Fulvetta, Bar-throated, Blue-winged, and Red-tailed Minlas, Black-headed, White-browed, Green, and Black-eared Shrike-Babblers, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, and a baffling array of Phylloscopus warblers. We’ll watch for soaring raptors like Crested Goshawk, Black and Rufous-bellied Eagles, and Himalayan Buzzard. The thick understory holds skulkers like Scaly-breasted and Pygmy Cupwings, and Chestnut-headed Tesia. At night we will venture out and search for Hodgson’s Frogmouth, though a large dose of luck is needed to get good views of this elusive beast. For our four nights on the mountain, we’ll be based in a comfortable though rustic tourist lodge at the edge of the forest.

 

Day 8: Mount Victoria to Bagan

Descending from the mountain, we’ll retrace our steps back to hot and dry Bagan. We’ll leave early to take advantage of our limited time in the dipterocarp and mixed deciduous forest that is found along the way. This is the best place in southeast Asia for parakeets, with five species represented, including Gray-headed, Blossom-headed, and Alexandrine. Birding in this habitat is especially hit-and-miss, but some other tantalizing possibilities include Great Slaty Woodpecker, Himalayan and Greater Flamebacks, Greater Yellownape, Collared Falconet, Pin-tailed Green Pigeon, Red-headed Trogon, Large Woodshrike, Large Cuckooshrike, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, and Blue-throated Flycatcher. As we approach the Irrawaddy, and the landscapes becomes increasingly drier, we’ll watch for the odd White-eyed Buzzard, and walk through some badlands in search of the endemic local race of Long-billed Pipit.

 

Day 9: Bagan to Heho to Kalaw

Another short domestic flight carries us into the eastern mountains of Myanmar, which have a very different feeling and avifauna from the Chin Hills. Here we are in the Shan State, which has distinct languages, cultures, and cuisine. One of the fascinating aspects of this tour is that visiting the central valley, the Chin Hills, and the Shan State, is almost like visiting three different countries, though there is a distinctly Burmese thread running through all three places. We’ll spend the night in the charming hill station town of Kalaw, which has a relaxed atmosphere and wonderful climate. In the afternoon, we’ll begin our explorations of the rich broadleaved forest west of town.

 

Day 10: Kalaw

Our prime target on this day will be the highly localized, though not quite endemic Burmese Yuhina. This handsome puffy-crested bird seems to be present in very low densities, but we will comb prime habitat and hope to run into a little flock of them. While we search for the yuhina, we’re sure to enjoy sightings of many other birds, such as Bay Woodpecker, Black-backed Sibia, Yunnan Fulvetta, Yellow-cheeked Tit, Silver-eared Mesia, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Black-throated Sunbird, and Silver-eared Laughingthrush. The small remnant wetlands at the edge of the forest sometimes produce Black-tailed Crake. We’ll also explore some more scrubby and open habitat, in search of Spot-throated Babbler, Spectacled Barwing, Spot-breasted Parrotbill, and Black-headed Greenfinch.

 

Day 11: Kalaw to Lake Inle

A short drive back through Heho brings us to Lake Inle, a huge body of water at moderate elevations in an inter-montane valley. Here we’ll explore the endless expanses of marsh and open water for a bounty of new trip birds. This is the best place on Earth for Jerdon’s Bushchat, which has the friendly habit of sitting out in the open for all to see! The other major target at Inle is the increasingly rare Collared Myna. We’ll also look for reed-bed skulkers like Cinnamon Bittern, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, Baikal Bush-Warbler, and Chinese Grassbird. There are lots of widespread Asian waterbirds like Little Cormorant, White-throated and Common Kingfishers, Asian Openbill, and Purple Heron. Harriers including Pied and Eastern Marsh, may come coursing over the roadbeds anytime. Open water holds Eurasian Coot, Indian Spot-billed Duck, and Ferruginous Pochard, while Brown-headed and Black-headed Gulls follow tourist boats looking for handouts! Asides from its interest as a birding spot, Inle is simply a fascinating place, with its famous floating gardens, and its many aquatic villages built on stilts out on the lake itself. It’s also known for its “leg rowers” who stand in their boats and use one leg to row an oar, an astounding and rather picturesque operation!

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Day 12: Inle Lake to Heho to Yangon

A short drive will take us back to the Heho airport, where we’ll board our flight back to Yangon. At our comfortable hotel, we’ll enjoy a final dinner of delicious Burmese food.

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Day 13: Departure from Yangon

Before flying out, we will do a final morning of birding in Hlawga Park, on the north side of Yangon. Taxonomic fanatics will be keen to see the localized “Davidson’s” subspecies of Stripe-throated Bulbul, but there is plenty in Hlawga to keep any birder occupied. We’ll look for Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, White-crested Laughingthrush, and a variety of other lowland forest birds that will likely to be new for the trip. The rare Pale-capped Pigeon is sometimes even seen in Hlawga.