Field Trip Report:
Birding in Taiwan - Mar 18 - 31, 2010
Leaders: Simon Liao and Jo Ann MacKenzie
Web: www.birdingintaiwan.org
Text and Photos by Jo Ann MacKenzie
Taiwan is a mountainous island in the South China Sea, about 175 km (110 mi.) off the Chinese mainland. The forested beauty of the island led Portuguese sailors in 1590 to call it Ilha Formosa, meaning “Beautiful Island.” The Tropic of Cancer passes through the southern part of the island.
Tuesday, March 18 – Friday, March 19; Days 1– 2
Taoyuan to Changhua
Travel to Taiwan on EVA Air involved a 1:45 a.m. departure from Vancouver, a 13-hour flight and arriving at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5:45 a.m., shortly after breakfast. After arrival formalities, the arriving group was met by Simon Liao and Jo Ann MacKenzie at 6:30, and we were on our way. The early morning temperature in Taipei was a pleasant 15°C. but the day soon became hot.
We climbed into our van, driven by Johnson Chen, Chairman of the Yilan Wild Bird Society. We headed south, about 2½ hours from the airport, for some wetland birding. The first stop was at Gaomei (Kaomei) Wetland, a 500 hectare BirdLife International Important Bird Area on the south side of the Dajia River estuary in Taichung County. Among the first birds seen were five Black-tailed Gulls. There were many waders; Gray Heron, Sacred Ibis (introduced species), Snowy Plover, Common Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper. Vegetation beside the seawall walkway produced Black-faced Bunting (two subspecies, E. s. spodocephala and E. s. sordida), Zitting Cisticola, Nutmeg Mannikin, Plain Prinia, Yellow Wagtail, and a rare transient, Yellow-browed Bunting. A female Blue Rock Thrush flew into some shade atop a building.
After a tea break we continued a little farther south to another wetland, called Hambao (‘Hamburger’, for reasons unknown) to look for Saunders’ Gulls on the coastal mud flats before the rapidly rising tide caused them to leave. The mudflats also had hundreds of Pacific Golden Plover. We were lucky, and saw 15 Saunders’ Gulls before they departed. We also locate a rare Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans mongolicus, recognized by some authors as Mongolian Gull, Larus mongolicus. Ponds inside the dyke held Black-bellied Plover, Little-ringed Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint and Greater Painted-snipe. As we drove along the service road at the base of the dyke, we flushed a Richard’s Pipit and another rare transient, Pechora Pipit.
We had oyster pancakes (more similar to omelette than ‘pancake’) for lunch in the old city of Lugang, sought advice from the gods at the Matsu Temple, dedicated to Matsu, goddess of the sea, and walked through the restored Old Town before heading for our hotel in Changhua.
In the evening, we attended an excellent, many-course Welcome supper, hosted by Liao Tzu-Ciang, Chairman of the Changhua Wild Bird Society and Lai Ping-Huei, principal of the local high school. Tired, we returned to the Formosa Hotel across the street from the restaurant.
Saturday, March 20; Day 3
Changhua to Huisun
We left the hotel at 8 a.m. to attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Bagua Mountain Bird Fair as invited guests of the Changhua Wild Bird Society. The annual Fair has been held on the 3rd weekend of March since inception in 1991, hosted by the CHWBS, partner of the British Columbia Field Ornithologists. The Fair is the biggest event of the CHWBS’s year, and celebrates the spring passage of the Gray-faced Buzzard, Butastur indicus. There was a time long ago, when these raptors and others were persecuted, but a public education program focussed on school children dramatically changed public attitudes. Thousands of Gray-faced Buzzards follow the contour of Bagua Mountain (Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area) on their annual journey from their wintering areas in southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines, back to their breeding sites in Japan, northeast China, Korea and the Russian Far East. The dates of the Bird Fair coincide with the peak of the migration period. After the formalities, we returned to the hawk watch station for a while. There were many more raptors overhead, including Crested Serpent-Eagle and Crested Goshawk. There were Black-browed [Taiwan] Barbets in a nearby tree, our first endemic species, already accepted as such by Sibley and Monroe, Howard and Moore, and other authors but not yet by Clements’ Checklist of Birds of the World. Six Vinous-throated Parrotbills moved through low trees; a Black Drongo (Taiwan endemic subspecies) perched on overhead wires. After lunch, we departed and headed inland and up, to Huisun Forest Reserve. We were accompanied by two Taiwanese birding friends, Dustin Wang and Jane Lee.
Huisun Forest Station is part research facility of the Department of Forestry of National Chung Hsing University, and part 1,567 hectare recreation area with walking paths. (In Taiwan, ‘forestry’ refers to preservation of the forests for study, enjoyment and soil retention, not exploitation of them for profit.) A pair of Maroon Orioles nest near the park entrance, and after some effort, we found the male. The Taiwan endemic subspecies, Oriolus traillii ardens, is red, not maroon. Besides Maroon Oriole, the main ‘target species’ at Huisun is Formosan Magpie, the National Bird; we saw 22! Also, there were Gray-capped Woodpecker, Gray Treepie, White-eared Sibia, Besra, Black-naped Monarch, three Chinese bamboo Partridge (on the road) and six Silver-backed Needletails overhead. After supper, we tried owling with mixed success. Some of the group saw a Collared Scops-Owl; we only heard Mountain Scops-Owl and Northern Boobook. We gave up and went to our Huisun Lodge cabins, 770m (2530 ft.) elevation, each of which have a hot spring tub.
Sunday, March 21; Day 4
Huisun to Chingjing
Pre-breakfast birding began at 6 a.m. The Huisun Lodge area was very quiet, so we drove down a few hundred metres to the 3-storey Research and Education Center, Huisun Forest Station, Experimental Forest building. In trees were Varied Tit, another Gray-capped Woodpecker, Dusky Fulvetta, White-bellied Yuhina, Eurasian Jay and White-eared Sibia. In the large open grassy area opposite the building, a Malayan Night-Heron s-l-o-w-l-y searched for insects, worms and small lizards. After breakfast, as we packed the van to leave Huisun, 10 Formosan Magpies appeared.
We drove farther down to Puli city, the geographic centre of Taiwan, for lunch. Dustin and Jane left to return to their homes in Sanxia Township, Taipei County, where they are English teachers. After lunch at one of a popular chain of bakeries called ‘85°’, we continued east across Taiwan, and began driving up to higher elevation. The Sunday traffic heading down was congested, especially with big tour busses. After a rest stop at busy Mist Plaza, we continued a short distance to the town of Chingjing, and our hotel, Chingjing Resort; elev. 1750m (5740 ft.) The hotel is surrounded by market gardens and scrub; during a late afternoon walk, we found Steere’s Liocichla, Plain and Striated Prinias, more Vinous-throated Parrotbills, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Brownish-flanked bush-Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-faced Bunting and Eye-browed Thrush (both winter visitors), and an uncharacteristically bold Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler loudly calling what sounded like “animal-animal” from a small tree. Supper was served at our hotel,.
Monday, March 22; Day 5
Chingjing to Tienhsiang
On a pre-breakfast walk beside the fields below the hotel, we found Bamboo Partridge, Dusky Warbler, Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Bush-Warbler, Striated Prinia, Pale Thrush, Eye-browed Thrush, and surprisingly, a Collared Finchbill, which is usually found below 1500 m. After breakfast, we continued to climb on Highway 14, making a stop at the trailhead of Blue Gate Trail #1 where we found Rusty Laughingthrush, Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, and Taiwan Yuhina. A brief walk on the trail itself gave us Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, Yellow [Taiwan] Tit, White-eared Sibia, White-browed Shortwing, Rufous-faced Warbler, Rufous-capped Babbler, White-tailed Robin, Gray-cheeked Fulvetta, Black-throated and Green-backed Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch, and Fire-breasted Flowerpecker.
We returned to the highway and continued to drive up to the western gate of Toroko National Park and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area. At Wuling (“Big Wind”) elev. 3,275 m (10,750 ft.), the highest point of the cross-island highway, there was no wind, and fog was too dense to see anything, so we continued on. A short distance down the east side of the crest, we found a male Collared Bush-Robin. We heard, but couldn’t see a Taiwan Bush-Warbler. Farther down, at Dayuling (elev. 2465 m), we found Coal Tit (the endemic crested subspecies, Periparus ater ptilosus) and glimpsed a Silver-backed Needletail overhead. At Cihen, we found the trees below the road full of small birds—more flowerpeckers, sibias, tits, Gray-chinned Minivets, Vivid Niltavas, plus Large-billed Crows overhead.
In the late afternoon, we arrived at Tienhsiang, elev. 485 m (1592 ft.), and our spacious, quiet hotel, the Tienhsiang Youth Hostel on the edge of the forest, which is not restricted to ‘youth’!
Tuesday, March 23; Day 6
Tienhsiang to Taitung
Pre-breakfast birding around the hotel produced a Dusky Fulvetta, a female Maroon Oriole, three Olive-backed Pipits, a Naumann’s Thrush, split by some authors from Dusky Thrush as Turdus naumanni; White-bellied Yuhina, a Crested Goshawk overhead, and an endemic toad, Central Formosan Toad (Bankoro Toad), Bufo bankorensis, in the grass. Four Taiwan Macaques, Taiwan’s only monkey, climbed in trees on a nearby hillside. After breakfast, just before our van pulled away from the hotel, a colourful Elegant Skink emerged from cover at the hotel’s steps. Leaving the park after a stop at the visitor Centre, we headed south.
Along the east coast, the mountains rise near the sea. This coast is what the Portuguese seamen were looking at in 1590 when they exclaimed “Beautiful island!” The seasonal winds from the northeast blew strongly. Along this side of the island, Styan’s Bulbuls were plentiful. We also saw an introduced Common Hill Myna. At this time of year, in fields along this coast, the endemic subspecies of Ring-necked Pheasant is often seen and/or heard; we encountered three. At the “Water Running Uphill” attraction, we found a Brown-headed Thrush.
As we approached Taitung, we stopped to look at the shore rock formations called Shiaoyeliou (“Little Yeliou”), where found another Brown-headed Thrush, and heard a [Taiwan] Hwamei before going on to our accommodation, Golden Hill Village B & B, in Fukang, a suburb of Taitung city.
Wednesday, March 24; Day 7
Taitung to Hungtou, Lanyu Island
During pre-breakfast birding we saw a [Taiwan] Hwamei. After breakfast, we drove to the Taitung Airport for our 8:30 a.m., 20-minute flight to Lanyu Island, a 45-km² volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan island and separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. The island is home to the Tao or Yami, an ethnic minority group who migrated to the island from the Batan Archipelago 800 years ago. The island is also known by its old name, Botel Tobago. Strong north-east winds are always a concern on this coast during fall through spring, but the good weather held, and our Daily Air flight to Lanyu in a 19-passenger Dornier 229 aircraft was uneventful.
After driving for a few minutes to Hungtou village and check-in at the hotel, we set off in the rather dilapidated van provided by the hotel. We headed south, under a hot sun, to Hungtou Creek, parked the van, scrambled up the rocky, dry creek bed for a while, then settled down to watch a Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, Terpsiphone atrocaudata periophthalmica nest as adults came and went. Philippine Cuckoo-doves also appeared. Back out on the road, noisy Brown-eared Bulbuls flew by. These bulbuls are common on Lanyu Island; rare on southern Taiwan island, Green Island, and Turtle Island (Guishan Island) east of Yilan. Success with our first three Lanyu Island specialties! Fork-tailed Swifts flew overhead; a migrant Red-rumped Swallow perched on an overhead wire across the road.
We drove farther, parked the van again, and walked about 200m to the forest edge, where we tried for daylight views of ‘Lanyu’ Scops-Owl, Otus elegans botelensis, an endemic subspecies of Ryukyu or Elegant Scop-Owl. Three owls called in response to our calls, but we could not see them in the wind-tossed foliage. As we walked back to the van, Simon called our attention to a Bull-headed Shrike, a rare transient, on a fence post across a field. Dark morph Pacific Reef Herons foraged along the shore.
We returned to the hotel, and supper. Along the way, a White-breasted Waterhen walked on the road edge. Later, we set off in the van again for what we expected would be an evening of owling. We were scarcely out of town, when Simon heard a “nyow!” call, close by. A female ‘Lanyu’ Scops-Owl was calling from a small tree beside the road. “Nyow!” again. Our flashlights revealed a pair of the owls in the tree. Success with the fourth Lanyu specialty, with very little effort. These owls are common on the island, not very shy, but this pair was almost too easy. Our evening of owling ended in 20 minutes, and we returned to the hotel.
Thursday, March 25; Day 8
Hungtou, Lanyu Island
Pre-breakfast birding began at 6:30. We watched several Lowland White-Eyes, our 5th ‘most wanted’ Lanyu species, and heard a Siberan Rubythroat singing. The rubythroat briefly showed itself after most of the group moved on. Lesser Coucals flew from shrub to shrub. We tried hard, but failed to find Whistling Green-Pigeon, which would have been the 6th, and last, Lanyu specialty. As we returned to our hotel and prepared to leave for the airport for departure, the sky had become a little hazy, and the wind was picking up, but no cause for alarm…yet. We went to the airport and checked in for our 2:15 p.m. departing flight. The wind from the southeast became much stronger. The Daily Air aircraft on which we were supposed to depart, arrived from Taitung with its passengers…but then, the departing flight—ours—was cancelled due to deteriorating weather. The plane took off and returned to Taitung city empty because there are no hangar facilities at the small Lanyu airport. Wind-blown rain began. We waited. After a while, all flights for the rest of the day were cancelled, along with our flight reservations. We returned to town.
After lunch, we braved the weather, and made a sightseeing drive around the island. We stopped at a coffee shop, and checked the short grass of a schoolyard for any storm-tossed transients, finding a Dusky Thrush. As the wind was still blowing hard, we returned to the hotel for an early night.
Friday, March 26; Day 9
Hungtou, Lanyu Island
The peculiar rules at the airport required Simon to go to the airport very early, 5 a.m., and line up before the doors open at 8:00, then rush to the desk to re-book our departure seats. The rest of us arrived shortly after 8:00, following breakfast at the YaKen Café in Hongtou, and waiting began again. The rain had stopped, but the wind was still very strong. From time to time, we ventured out to see if the wind had blown in anything interesting. Yes; an Osprey fished, and five Brown Boobies flew back and forth offshore. However, by afternoon, all flights were cancelled, again. There was nothing to do but return to the hotel.
Saturday, March 27; Day 10
Lanyu Island to Tainan
After two days of cancelled flights, there were a great many local, angry, frustrated would-be travellers mobbing the check-in desk, demanding that something be done…more flights, bigger aircraft…anything. (The runway is between mountains and the sea, short, and can only handle smaller aircraft.) Police were on hand to maintain order. A Japanese traveller photographed the scene with his cell phone, and our predicament as stranded foreigners became front-page news in the national edition of the Liberty Times newspaper the next day. The wind was diminishing, and we were hopeful. Periodic brief birding forays continued on foot, and found a Hoopoe, Ruddy Turnstone, Common Tern, Oriental Honey-Buzzard and Gray-faced Buzzard.
At last, planes—and extra flights—were coming and going again, and we were able to leave. We were met in Taitung by our patient driver, Johnson Chen.
The lost two days on Lanyu Island cost us our scheduled time in Kenting National Park at the south end of Taiwan. Instead, we drove from Taitung city to Tainan city, on Taiwan’s southwest coast, where we had a good supper followed by a quiet night’s sleep.
Sunday, March 28; Day 11
Tainan to Kwanghua
After breakfast, we left Tainan city and spent the morning birding along the dyke and wetlands of the Yanshuei River. We found more grebes, 6 Black-faced Spoonbills, herons and egrets, Sacred Ibis (introduced), Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns, over 100 Black-winged Stilt, Long-billed Plover (rare), Little Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank and over 100 Common Greenshank.
We started north toward the Kwantien Pheasant-tailed Jacana Reserve, where we saw two Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, two Mallard (uncommon in Taiwan), Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Moorhen, and Eurasian Coot.
Leaving Kwantien, we headed inland and up to Kwanghua village, elev. 1000m (3.300 ft.) on the lower slope of Alishan, where there are tea plantations and private forest. As it was late in the day, we had to hurry to settle in the viewing blinds so as not to disturb the special birds we had come to see. Silently, we waited as the sun went down. We listened to the forest creatures: Steere’s Liocichla called, followed Formosan Red-bellied Squirrel, White-eared Sibia, then Black-browed [TaiwanBarbet…then the main event; Swinhoe’s Pheasant (4) and Taiwan partridge (3) came into view for a last feed and drink before going to roost. Elated, we returned to Firefly Lodge in darkness.
fter supper, we drove down the mountain a short distance, trying to get a look at Mountain Scops-Owl; success, after some effort.
Monday, March 29; Day 12
Kwanghua to_Dasyueshan NFRA
Morning birding, before breakfast on the lawn, produced Crested Serpent-Eagle, Little Bunting (uncommon transient), Olive-backed Pipit, White-bellied Pigeon, Yellow-browed Warbler; during breakfast, a Blue Rock Thrush on a power pole. After breakfast, on our way back to the highway, we found skulking Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler and Rusty Laughingthrush, two each. We continued down to Changhua city to the home of Denny Liao, Simon’s brother, and his wife Fanny. Denny has an ‘owl museum’ in his home, with a collection of over 2700 owl figures.
We continued north and up again, to Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area. At the km 23.5 viewing deck, dominated by a large Idesia polycarpa tree still bearing red fruit, there was little action, so we continued on. Arriving at km 47 in the mountain park, we waited for 1 ½ hours in the late afternoon chill for a Mikado Pheasant (female) to appear and begin to feed along the roadside. While we waited, we observed White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Collared Bush-Robin, White-browed Bush-Robin, Formosan Striped Squirrel and Formosan Yellow-throated Marten. We retreated to the restaurant for supper, then to our rustic cabins at Snow Mountain Resort, km 43, at 2275m (7500 ft). elevation; temperature 15°C. The cabins are unheated, but the beds have electric mattress pads for warmth.
Tuesday, March 30; Day 13
Dasyueshan to Taipei
Pre-breakfast birding around Snow Mountain Resort revealed Taiwan Barwing, White-whiskered Laughingthrush and Green-backed Tit, including one that flew into the restaurant and perched on a light fixture. Simon opened all the windows and the little bird found its way out. We found two Scaly Thrushes, one noticeably smaller than the other. Many photographs were taken of the small one, and submitted to Asian bird authorities later. The bird was identified as Zoothera dauma aurea, variable in size, but not the rarity we at first thought.
After breakfast, we drove higher, to Hsiaolaishan, 2600m (8,530 ft.). We found Himalayan Cuckoo, Eurasian Nutcracker, Green-backed Tit, Collared Bush-Robin, but no Golden Parrotbills. On the way back to Snow Mountain Resort, we stopped to make a courtesy call at the park office. While there, we saw a distant Mountain Hawk Eagle perched in a mountainside tree. Father down the road, at another stop, a Streak-throated [Taiwan] Fulvetta flitted through a roadside tree, and a Black Eagle passed overhead. We left the park and had lunch at ‘85°’ bakery in Dongshih before continuing to Taipei and the Dandy Da’an Hotel. Supper was at the Shin Yeh Buffet Restaurant.
Wednesday, March 31; Day 14
Taipei to Vancouver
After breakfast, we drove east to Yeliou Geopark, known to most people for its fanciful natural rock formations eroded by wind and water, but the long cape jutting into the East China Sea is best known to birders as a good place to find transient species. Unfortunately, access to the promontory was closed for maintenance work on the paths. Instead, we concentrated our efforts on the ornamental shrubbery near the entrance where we saw Siberian Rubythroat, Dusky and Arctic Warblers, Japanese Bush-Warbler; two of the group glimpsed a Japanese Thrush. On a tip, we went to Jinshan Youth Activity Center, an extensive property not far away for Brambling, Yellow-throated Bunting, Black-faced Bunting, and Eye-browed Thrush. We could not relocate a Hoopoe found there the previous day.
Lunch was at a Japanese-era “Governor-General’s Hot Spring Hotel.” Another Gray-faced Buzzard passed overhead as we returned to the car. A Black Kite perched on a power pole by the road.
We had a last look at Taipei as we drove across Taipei County from east to west, toward Sanxia township where we stopped at a particular spot on the Daba River. There, within earshot of an outdoor karaoke bar, we found three Brown Dippers and three Formosan Whistling-Thrushes. As we drove along the river into Sanxia town, we found five more Formosan Magpies.
In Sanxia town, we visited the Tzushr Temple, dating from 1769, burned down, rebuilt three times—and still under reconstruction. The building is also referred to as the ‘Bird Temple’ because of the hundreds of birds (and animals) carved into the stone pillars and engraved onto stone wall panels. The temple is dedicated to the Divine Progenitor, and is important in the religious life of Sanxia. Before supper with Dustin Wang and Jane Lee, we strolled down a reconstructed ‘old street’ with shop façades in the style of the Qing dynasty After supper, we returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for the 11:55 p.m. flight back to Vancouver, arriving at 7:10 p.m.
Species List
All 15 endemic species (The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World) were seen. See “Annotated Species List” list for details.
The total bird species for the tour was 195.
View full species list: Taiwan 2010 - Annotated Species List (pdf)
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