Few of Taiwan’s endemics are as splendid as this Blue Magpie. Photo: David Fisher
Early Portuguese sailors dubbed Taiwan “Isla Formosa,” the beautiful island, and although the title was abandoned some time ago in favor of the Chinese name, meaning “terraced bay,” Taiwan is a strikingly attractive place with spectacular mountain scenery. Less than 250 miles from north to south and 100 miles wide, Taiwan boasts impressive geographic and ecological diversity. A dramatic mountain range with numerous peaks over 3000 meters, including Yö Shan, which at 3952 meters is the highest peak in northeast Asia, forms the island’s backbone. This north-south-running axis is flanked either side by broad, flat coastal plains, which lie astride the Tropic of Cancer and, in contrast to the mountains, are warm and humid.
Today Taiwan is best known for its political defiance of mainland China, but it’s the island’s rich natural heritage that interests us. Amazingly few Western birders have experienced Taiwan’s impressive avifauna. We’ve been missing out, for many of the species are tame and birds are generally far easier to see here than in most other parts of Asia. Moreover Taiwan’s an affluent country with a good tourist infrastructure and road network, making traveling a pleasure. Most important, the island boasts an impressive array of 15 to 17 endemic species, and we’ll concentrate on seeing them. Some, such as Taiwan Yuhina, White-collared Bush-Robin, White-eared Sibia and Steere’s Liocichla, are common and easily found, but others, such as the two exotic pheasants, may require more perseverance while Taiwan Hill Partridge is decidedly difficult to see.
Endemic taxa are far from all that Taiwan has to offer, however. The island is the winter home of the bulk of the tiny world population of Black-faced Spoonbill and we expect to see a few lingering birds. The tour’s timing, at the height of the northbound spring migration, means that we’re sure to see a decent number of east Asian migrants as well. We’ll spend time looking at shorebirds and terns and with luck may stumble across a Chinese Crested Tern, a species on the verge of extinction. We also stand a good chance of seeing Fairy Pitta at a breeding site.
Our tour starts and finishes in Taipei. From there we’ll travel south down the broad western plain before turning and heading inland up into the mountains. Crossing the country through the spectacular Taroke Gorge, we’ll next travel south down the east coast and fly out to Lanyu, or Orchid, Island for a night before looping around the south of the island and heading back north up the western side. Our accommodations are comfortable, and transport will be by minivan and four-wheel-drives where necessary.
What exactly is Taiwan? An island in search of its own identity as a province of China or an independent nation? Born of the Chinese civil war, it has existed as a political entity only since 1949. Certainly there are congested cities, jostling lines of traffic, neon signs and the like, but this isn’t the Taiwan we’ve come to see, and it’s easy to escape to the quiet forests or bird-rich coastal wetlands. Taiwan undoubtedly offers some of the most poorly known and yet some of the best, easiest and most rewarding birding in the whole of Asia.
Day 1: The tour begins this evening in Taipei. Night in Taipei.
Day 2: After breakfast we’ll travel a short distance to the Taipei Botanical Gardens for an introduction to Taiwan’s more common birds, including Japanese White-eye and Light-vented Bulbul. This is also one of the best sites for Malayan Night Heron and we should be able to find one stalking earthworms somewhere in the small gardens. A pair of Crested Goshawks breed in the park most years and we might be able to see them as well. From there we’ll drive southwest, away from Taipei and up into the foothills at Ao-wen Da. We’ll arrive in plenty of time to explore some of this excellent compact reserve. Night at Ao-wen Da.
Day 3: We’ll spend the morning at Ao-wen Da searching for endemic mid-altitude species such as the vociferous Taiwan Blue Magpie, Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, startled-looking Yellow Tit, Steere’s Liocichla, White-eared Sibia and Taiwan Yuhina. Other possibilities are the endemic subspecies of Black-browed Barbet, Vivid Niltava and Dusky Fulvetta and with luck regional specialties such as Little Forktail. After a busy morning here we’ll drive higher into the mountains to Chingjing, where we’ll spend three nights.
Days 4-5: We’ll have more than two full days to explore numerous sites around Chingjing, which at 1720 meters is ideal as a base for our search for Taiwan’s higher-elevation specialties. All three of Taiwan’s endemic game birds occur near Chingjing, and we’ll spend much of our time quietly walking various trails through the bird-rich temperate forests in our quest to see them. The spectacular Swinhoe’s Pheasant is the easiest to see, the elusive Taiwan Partridge undoubtedly the most difficult and Mikado Pheasant isn’t common but we have lots of time. Several of the species we searched for at Ao-wen Da also occur here while more site-specific specialties include White-whiskered Laughingthrush, the enigmatic Taiwan Wren-Babbler and Taiwan Barwing. On one day we’ll drive up the Central Cross Island Highway over the Hehuanshan Pass, which at 3275 meters is the highest road pass in east Asia. Target species here include Collared Bush-Robin, Flamecrest and the recently described Alishan Bush-Warbler. The higher-elevation patches of bamboo hold good numbers of Streak-throated Fulvettas and a few Golden Parrotbills though we’ll need a fair amount of luck to connect with the latter. Other target species include the endemic forms of Alpine Accentor, Vinaceous Rosefinch and both Brown and Gray-headed Bullfinches. Nights at Chingjing.
Day 6: We’ll leave Chingjing early and drive back up the Hehuanshan Pass, stopping to search for any species we may have missed. Descending the eastern side we’ll travel slowly through Taiwan’s premier tourist attraction, the spectacular Taroko Gorge, before reaching the coast near Hualien. Turning south we’re sure to come into contact with Styan’s Bulbul, Taiwan’s most threatened endemic, before we reach our hotel besides the Wulu forest. Night near Wulu Forest.
Day 7: We’ll take four-wheel drives today and head inland in to the Wulu forest. Here we’ll have further chances to catch up on any of the island’s endemics, such as Taiwan Partridge, Mikado Pheasant or Taiwan Blue Shortwing, that we might have missed or only had poor views of earlier. We’ll also look for regional specialities such as the attractive Rusty Laughingthrush before heading back to our hotel. Night near Wulu Forest.
Day 8: We’ll leave our hotel early and drive south to Taitung where we’ll take a short, 20-minute, flight to the spectacular volcanic Lanyu, or Orchid, Island off Taiwan’s south-eastern corner. Still inhabited by some 2000 Yami aborigines, whose culture is closer to that of the Philippines and Pacific islands than it is to China, Lanyu is radically different to mainland Taiwan. There’s plenty to see here from cultural diversions to some excellent birding. The native’s traditional homes are underground in order to offer safe refuge from the severe typhoons that ravage the area every autumn. Birds we’ll be looking out for on Lanyu include the endemic forms of Elegant Scops Owl, Whistling Green Pigeon, Brown-eared Bulbul and Japanese White-eye. Night on Lanyu.
Day 9: The island is also home to small numbers of both Brown Cuckoo Doves and Japanese Paradise-flycatchers. In addition we’re sure to come across numerous migrants at this time of year and these could include anything from a Little Curlew to a gorgeous Narcissus Flycatcher. We’ll spend the morning and early afternoon on Lanyu before taking a large passenger ferry for a two-and-a-half hour return trip to Taitung. Night in Taitung.
Day 10: After more birding close to Taitung we’ll drive south to Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city. Night in Kaohsiung.
Day 11: We’ll spend the day travelling slowly along the southwest coastline and intend to stop at numerous sites to search for waders, gulls and terns. The main species well be looking for is the endanered Black-faced Spoonbill, most of whose tiny world population winters in Taiwan, and there should be a few lingering birds still present. Other species here should include a host of waders such as Far Eastern Curlew, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot, Long-toed Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. With luck we might be able to find a Chinese Egret or Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and there are even a couple of recent records of Chinese Crested Tern here. Night in Tainan.
Day 12: In the morning we’ll spend more time searching for birds along the coast. With luck we might be able to find a Chinese Egret or even Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and there are even several recent records of Chinese Crested Tern. In the afternoon we’ll head north to Douliou. Night in Douliou.
Day 13: Accompanied by a local naturalist we’ll make an early morning visit to Pillow Hill near Douliou. Today’s target will be the gorgeous but rare Fairy Pitta, a few pairs of which breed here. A researcher has been studying these birds and with his help we should be able to find at least one bird. In the late morning we’ll head back to Taipei, stopping en route or at one of the excellent small sanctuaries on the edge of the city to bird. Night in Taipei.
Day 14: The tour concludes this morning in Taipei.
Updated: 29 August 2007
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $5,000*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $440
Notes
This tour is limited to 10 participants with one WINGS and one local leader.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.