Taiwan Birding Tours

Introduction to Taiwan

Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, is an island country of approximately 13,826 square miles (35,808 square kilometers) in East Asia and was historically known in English as Formosa, after Portuguese sailors sighted the island in 1542 and named it Ilha Formosa (“beautiful island”). The name remained in common use until the 20th century, and the island is certainly still unique and beautiful today. The archipelago consists of the main island of Taiwan and several smaller offshore islands, including Lanyu.  Taiwan’s neighbors include (at 112 miles / 180 kilometers across the Taiwan Strait to the northwest), the People’s Republic of China (more simply China) which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south (both at greater distances than mainland China). Taipei is the capital and largest city. The Republic of China was previously located on the Chinese mainland before withdrawing to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War.

The island of Taiwan was joined to mainland China in the Late Pleistocene era, until sea levels rose about 10,000 years ago (in a similar way to how Sri Lanka was joined to India until relatively recently too). Human remains dating back 20,000–30,000 years have been discovered on the island. Around 6,000 years ago Taiwan was settled by farmers believed to have been from mainland China. Over the last 500 years Taiwan has been ruled (at least in some or all areas of the island) by the Portuguese, the Spanish, the Dutch East India Company, various Chinese dynasties and governments, and the Japanese.

The geography of Taiwan is fascinating. The main island is a tilted fault block (huge blocks of rock several hundred miles/kilometers in extent, created by tectonic activity) with five huge mountain ranges running north to south parallel to the coast in the eastern two-thirds of the island, contrasting markedly with flat and gently rolling plains in the western final third. There are over 200 mountains that soar over 9,842 feet (3,000 meters) with the highest peak being Yu Shan at 12,966 feet (3,952 meters). This unique geology and topography has created breathtaking scenery and alluring coastal scenes. Taiwan lies across the Tropic of Cancer, and its climate is heavily influenced by the East Asian Monsoon. It has a tropical climate in the south and a subtropical climate in the north.

Given the above, it is hardly surprising that Taiwan contains an incredibly diverse range of habitats. The native vegetation includes tropical evergreen rainforest in the lowlands, subtropical broadleaf evergreen forest at mid-elevation, and temperate mixed and coniferous forest in the high-elevation zone. Wetlands include tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps and saltmarshes, primarily along the west coast. Taiwan and offshore Lanyu Island are recognized by BirdLife International as two Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs).

Taiwan birding highlights

According to International Ornithological Congress (IOC) taxonomy, the national list is just over 700 bird species, this includes 32 currently recognized full endemic species and numerous endemic subspecies, as well as some highly sought-after breeding species (e.g. Fairy Pitta), wintering species (e.g. Black-faced Spoonbill), and passage migrants (e.g. Chinese Egret), as well as some birds that are easier to see in Taiwan than elsewhere in the world, such as Malayan Night Heron, making Taiwan a top priority for world birders.

We usually find most of Taiwan’s endemic birds on our tours, as well as a high percentage of all subspecies likely to get elevated to full species status in the future. Some of the endemic highlights of this great country include: Taiwan Partridge, Taiwan Bamboo Partridge, Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan Barbet, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Yellow Tit, White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Liocichla, White-eared Sibia, Taiwan Hwamei, Taiwan Bush Warbler, Taiwan Bush Robin, Collared Bush Robin, Taiwan Vivid Niltava, Flamecrest, Taiwan Yuhina, and Taiwan Rosefinch. Most of the endemics are found in the mountains, meaning birding takes place in some absolutely gorgeous scenery with nice cool temperatures, a pleasant change from the warmer lowlands. A few of the species occurring in Taiwan with distinctive local subspecies (and potential future splits) include Himalayan Owl, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Dusky Fulvetta, Golden Parrotbill, Maroon Oriole, and many more.

Join Birding Ecotours in Taiwan

Taiwan certainly is a beautiful and interesting place for bird watching and, as the number of endemics may increase due to splits, seeing its distinct subspecies could even gain you future armchair ticks! Visitors can observe fascinating biogeographical links between the birdlife of Taiwan, Japan, China, and the Philippines. Our Taiwan birding tour takes place during the spring migration period, providing opportunities to encounter a variety of spectacular migrant species. We are sure you will enjoy our small group tour to Taiwan.