The Yangtze, the Mekong, and the Salween flow parallely through the Gyalthang region cutting through deep valleys along the eastern Himalayas, and forming one of the richest natural gardens on earth. Here, 485 species of birds have been identified, accounting for 60% of the total species recorded in Yunnan.
This trip focuses on the endangered Black-neck crane (Grus nigricollis), which, according to a local legend, has concluded a sacred pact with the people of Gyalthang.
 If the cranes arrive after the harvest and leave before sowing season, the people of Gyalthang have sworn never to harm them. To this day, the strand of black human hair on the crane's neck is said to symbolize that oath, and the birds winter peacefully in Gyalthang.
Khampa Caravan adopted the Black-neck crane as its emblem, aspiring to live up to that sentiment in the backdrop of increasing tourist activity in the area.
The Lake Napa Nature Preserve (8 km north of Gyalthang) with its grasslands and lakes attracts many bird species that winter here: Pheasants and Laughing Thrush (Garrulax) are especially prevalent in this region, as well as other species such as the Slater's Monal Pheasant (Lophophorus sclateri), Pheasant Grouse (Tetraophasis obscurus), White-eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon), Derby's Parakeet (Psittacula derbiana) and Yunnan Nuthatch (Sitta yunnanensis).
 Black-neck cranes, whose total number is down to 6,000, breed in high-altitude wetlands and winter at lower altitudes in the Dokham region of the Tibetan plateau. Lake Napa has been a wintering spot from time immemorial. The decline in the breeding population of these exquisite birds is due to habitat loss caused by changing agricultural practices.
Apart from the joy of watching nature, we also get a chance to witness the rich and interesting variant of Tibetan culture in the frontier town of Gyalthang.
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