Taiwan
Taiwan is a mountainous island off the coast of East Asia, with more than 200 peaks exceeding 3,000 metres and a steep central mountain chain running much of its length. Landscapes range from subtropical lowland forest and coastal wetlands to temperate montane forests, alpine grasslands and rugged eastern gorges. The western plains contain most of the population and agriculture, while the east remains considerably more mountainous and forested. Taiwan's position between tropical Southeast Asia and temperate East Asia, combined with its dramatic elevation gradient, creates exceptional ecological variety within a relatively small area. The climate is subtropical to tropical, with cooler conditions at altitude, strong monsoon influences and frequent typhoons.
Overview
Taiwan is an outstanding destination for endemic East Asian birds, with many specialties concentrated in accessible mountain forests. Major targets include Mikado Pheasant, Swinhoe's Pheasant, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Taiwan Barwing, Flamecrest and Steere's Liocichla. Famous mountain areas such as Dasyueshan, Alishan and Hehuanshan allow birders to move through several elevation zones and find many endemics within relatively short distances. Western wetlands add large numbers of migratory waterbirds, including the globally threatened Black-faced Spoonbill. Taiwan has excellent roads, accommodation and an active local birding community, making it unusually easy to explore independently compared with many endemic-rich Asian destinations. Its combination of high endemism, compact geography and excellent accessibility makes Taiwan one of East Asia's most rewarding birding destinations.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis | 48.8% | 46.6% | 46.7% | 52.4% | 54.2% | 52.7% | 50.0% | 47.1% | 42.4% | 46.7% | 49.3% | 50.0% | 48.0% |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus | 41.5% | 35.9% | 35.3% | 37.5% | 40.5% | 42.9% | 45.8% | 49.0% | 47.9% | 43.9% | 40.9% | 41.4% | 37.4% |
| Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis | 34.8% | 34.0% | 35.0% | 35.8% | 33.3% | 34.0% | 34.3% | 35.1% | 35.6% | 36.5% | 35.5% | 34.2% | 33.8% |
| Swinhoe's White-eye Zosterops simplex | 33.3% | 28.6% | 28.0% | 34.0% | 33.9% | 33.6% | 33.0% | 35.8% | 35.5% | 35.5% | 35.4% | 34.1% | 31.8% |
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta | 32.6% | 39.9% | 35.5% | 27.0% | 27.4% | 23.9% | 24.1% | 26.4% | 30.4% | 35.0% | 37.3% | 42.2% | 41.9% |
| Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus | 29.6% | 29.0% | 29.5% | 30.6% | 28.5% | 29.9% | 31.0% | 32.9% | 32.0% | 29.4% | 25.9% | 28.2% | 27.7% |
| Red Collared-Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica | 26.1% | 25.0% | 24.6% | 24.4% | 23.0% | 25.5% | 25.2% | 26.9% | 28.0% | 30.2% | 27.4% | 27.2% | 25.7% |
| Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica | 24.1% | 12.1% | 12.6% | 25.9% | 35.8% | 31.7% | 31.4% | 32.4% | 27.1% | 25.5% | 23.5% | 17.4% | 13.5% |
| Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus | 23.3% | 23.1% | 20.8% | 19.1% | 20.8% | 22.3% | 22.3% | 23.3% | 22.5% | 26.2% | 28.9% | 26.3% | 24.1% |
| Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus | 23.2% | 17.8% | 23.1% | 33.0% | 30.4% | 34.2% | 31.0% | 28.7% | 18.9% | 13.3% | 13.7% | 15.4% | 18.4% |