BIRDING IN TAIWAN
ENDEMICS, FAIRY PITTA, and LANYU ISLAND
May 7-20, 2007
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Leaders: Simon Liao, Honourary Chairman,
Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan and Jo Ann MacKenzie, International
Taiwan Birding Association.
Summary:
Up to 10 participants (no minimum)
Major habitats of the west coast, central mountains, Taroko Gorge, the
southeast, and Lanyu Island
Moderate pace
Mostly easy to moderate walking; occasional steep steps and paths in
“high mountain” habitat
Accommodation with private bathrooms
Chilly at high elevations, especially at night; warm to hot and humid at
low elevations
Transportation by air-conditioned bus
Opportunities to sample Taiwanese culture and cuisine
ITINERARY
7 May (Monday), Day 1
Fly EVA Air at 2:20 a.m., from Vancouver to Taipei. It will be
necessary to be at Vancouver International Airport by 11:30 p.m. on the
evening of May 6, for flight check-in.
8 May (Tuesday), Day 2
Arrive Taiwan Taoyuan (formerly Chiang Kai-shek) International Airport
(situated 40 km west of Taipei, in Taoyuan County), at 5:30 a.m. We
will transfer to our bus, drive south to the Wufeng area, 300 to 400 m
(1,000 to 1,300 feet) elevation. We will visit suitable habitat to look
for Collared Finchbill, Formosan Whistling Thrush, Black-browed (Muller`s)
Barbet, Gray-capped Woodpecker, Formosan Magpie, and with luck, Fairy
Pitta. The male pittas should be on territory now, and we have a good
chance of seeing this very special bird. Then we will turn east and
climb higher to Huisun Forest Station. Possibilities include Ashy
Wood-Pigeon, Black-browed Barbet, Gray-capped Woodpecker, Gray-chinned
Minivet, Gray Treepie, Black Bulbul, Rufous-capped Babbler,
White-bellied Yuhina, Chinese Bamboo Partridge and Swinhoe’s Pheasant.
Night at Atayal Resort, in Huisun Forest Station, 770 m (2530 ft.)
elevation.
9 May (Wednesday), Day 3
Early morning birding on the trails at Huisun Forest Station. Leaving
Huisun after breakfast, we backtrack somewhat, then continue eastward
through Puli, the geographic center of Taiwan, and begin to climb again
toward Aowanda National Forest Recreation Area (elev. 1200 m (3900
ft.). At Aowanda, we will check the stream for Plumbeous Redstart and
with luck, the rare Little Forktail, and watch for Taiwan Yuhina, Yellow
Tit, Fire-breasted and Plain Flowerpeckers, Black-browed Barbet,
minivets and raptors. Leaving Aowanda, we continue to climb to
Chingjing. Night in Chiingjing, elev. 1750 m (5740 ft.)
10 May (Thursday), Day 4
We will make an early morning start to the Meifeng area in “high
mountain” habitat, to walk part of the Rueiyan River Road trail system,
nicknamed “Blue Gate Trails.” (Trail #1 is about 3 km, end to end.)
Local people call them Shueiguan [Water] Trails, because of the water
pipes that lie alongside. Possibilities include White-tailed Robin,
Mikado and Swinhoe’s Pheasants and perhaps with much luck, the very shy
Taiwan Partridge. We will also be alert for White-eared Sibia, Taiwan
Yuhina, Collared Bush Robin, Taiwan Barwing, Steere’s Liocichla, Pygmy
Wren-Babbler, White-browed Shortwing (the wren-babbler and shortwing are
both hard-to-see skulkers), Vineous-throated Parrotbill, Eurasian
Nuthatch, and others.
In the afternoon, we will continue to look for mountain
species. Return to Chingjing for the night.
11 May (Friday), Day 5
Early morning birding at Blue Gate Trail #2. Then, we will drive higher
yet, to the Hehuanshan Forest Recreation Area, elev. 3275 m (10,750
ft.), the highest elevation of the tour, just inside the western edge of
Taroko National Park. (“Shan,” means “mountain “or “hill” in Mandarin;
in this case, “mountain.”) We will look for White-whiskered
Laughingthrush, Flamecrest, Alpine Accentor, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Coal
Tit, and Yellow Tit. We will continue eastward through the upper part
of the Taroko Gorge, in Taroko National Park, to Tienhsiang looking for
Styan’s Bulbul. Night at Tienhsiang, elev. 485 m (1592 ft.)
12 May (Saturday), Day 6
Early morning birding in the Tienhsiang area. Then we will drive
eastward, through the spectacular Taroko “Marble Gorge.” The gorge is
one of the scenic wonders of Asia, created by immense tectonic forces
combined with erosion by the Liwu River. It will be necessary to be
there early to avoid the many large tour groups that flock into the
Gorge. We will look for Brown Dipper and Little Forktail, both along
the Liwu River, and the Shakadang Trail in the lower part of the Gorge.
We will exit through the park’s East Gate and turn south to Hualien and
drive along Taiwan’s scenic east coast, crossing the Tropic of Cancer.
Visit Houyen Butterfly Resort. In an hour or so here, we will see many
beautiful butterflies while we look for Maroon Oriole. Continue south,
to Taitung, and turn southwest to the Chihpen Forest Recreation Area,
elev. 700—800 m. Birding for the rest of the afternoon. Night in
Chihpen Forest Recreation Area
13 May (Sunday), Day 7
Morning birding in mid-elevation habitat. Birds here include Formosan
Whistling-Thrush, Formosan Magpie, White-eared Sibia, White-bellied
Pigeon, Oriental Cuckoo, Dusky Fulvetta, Spotted Flycatcher and Emerald
Dove. After lunch, proceed to Taitung airport, arriving in time for
our 20-minute flight to Lanyu (Orchid) Island, about 65 km east of the
southern tip of Taiwan.
Most of Lanyu’s inhabitants are aboriginal Yami people,
whose culture is closer to that of the Philippines than of Taiwan.
After transferring to Hungtou (Red-head) village, we will spend the rest
of the day birding this fascinating island. Lanyu is very different
from Taiwan and we will look for the specialties of this island:
Philippine [Brown] Cuckoo Dove, Japanese [Black] Paradise-Flycatcher,
Brown-eared Bulbul and Lowland White-eye. After dark, we will search
for “Lanyu” Scops-Owl, Otus elegans botelensis, a subspecies of Ryukyu
Scops-Owl endemic to Lanyu Island. Night in Hungtou.
14 May (Monday), Day 8
Early morning birding on Lanyu Island. In the afternoon, we will travel
by ferry back to the Taiwan mainland. The crossing will take about 2 ½
hours during which we will watch for any birds at sea, with much luck
perhaps Bonin Petrel, Bulwer’s Petrel or Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel. After
docking at Pingtung on the Eluanbi Peninsula and boarding our bus, we
will drive to Kenting, Taiwan’s tropical “far south.” Night in Kenting.
15 May (Tuesday), Day 9
Birding in the Kenting area, including Kenting National Park and Long
Luan Tan Lake, looking for Ruddy-breasted Crake, White-breasted Waterhen
and other wetland species. Endemic Styan’s Bulbul is easily found in
the Kenting area. Distinctively-shaped Taichien Shan (mountain) is the
first height of land that northward-bound migrants see as they approach
Taiwan; we will watch for both common and unusual species. Night in
Kuangtselin at a hotel with private hot spring baths.
16 May (Wednesday), Day 10
Morning birding in the Tsengwen Dam area, elev. 220 m, (859 ft.) We
will have another chance for Maroon Oriole, Collared Finchbill,
Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Oriental Cuckoo and other species of
mid-elevation woodland below the dam. The view over the valley provides
good opportunity for raptor-watching. At the Kwantien Wetland, we will
look for Pheasant- tailed Jacana. Night in Tainan.
17 May (Thursday), Day 11
All day in the Tainan area wetlands. Black-faced Spoonbills winter in
the Tainan-Chiku wetlands; there is a chance of finding a few late
lingerers, and possibly other unusual waders. We will also bird the
extensive wetland habitat of Aougu. Then we will continue north,
re-crossing the Tropic of Cancer, to Chiayi. Night in Chiayi. There
may be an opportunity to browse through the lively Night Market.
18 May (Friday), Day 12
Morning drive to return to “high mountain” habitat in Alishan Forest
Recreation Area. We will look for species we may have missed in this
habitat earlier. Night in Alishan village, 2200 m (7,200 ft.)
19 May (Saturday), Day 13
Early morning birding, Alishan. We will drive higher, to the Tataka
Recreation Area, 2600 m (8,536 ft.) in Yushan National Park for more
“high mountain” specialties. Yushan National Park is known as “The
ridge of the roof of Taiwan.” We will be within sight of Yushan Peak,
also called Jade Mountain. At 3952 m (just under 13,000 ft.), Yushan
Peak is the highest mountain in East Asia. Possible species are Taiwan
Bush-Warbler (which should be singing, and therefore “findable”),
Eurasian Nutcracker, Gray-headed Bullfinch, White-whiskered
Laughingthrush, Flamecrest, Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler,
Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler. Then it will be time to leave the high
mountains and drive to lowlands. The Hambao area, on the coast of
Changhua County is often productive for waders, wagtails and pipits.
Night in Changhua.
20 May (Saturday), Day 14
After breakfast, drive north to Taipei county, with a stop for a
cultural highlight, the Sanshia Temple, noted for its exquisite stone
and wood wildlife carvings, including more than 100 different birds.
Lunch. The afternoon will be flexible; we will try for Brown Dipper and
Malayan Night-Heron if we have not already found them. Continue to
Taipei. Supper, followed by a visit to one of Taipei’s famed Night
Markets.
Drive to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to await our EVA Airways
departure at 11:50 p.m., to Vancouver; arriving at 7:20 p.m. the same
day.
GROUP SIZE:
Maximum of 10 participants with 2 leaders
COST PER PERSON,
From Vancouver, BC, Canada: 14 days
CAD $5100 (sharing); CAD $5600 (single)
US $4600 (sharing); US $5050 (single)
From Taipei, Taiwan: 13 days
CAD $4000 (sharing); CAD $4500 (single)
US $3650 (sharing); US $4100 (single)
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT: Register at least 60 days before departure; get
5% off tour price.
DEPOSIT:
CAD $500 or US $450
For further information, please contact:
Simon Liao
E-mail: birdsimon0624@yahoo.com.tw
Taiwan
or
Jo Ann MacKenzie
15341 – 21 Avenue
Surrey, BC, V4A 6A8,
Canada
Phone: 604-538-1676
E-mail: j.a.mackenzie@telus.net
INTERNATIONAL TAIWAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION
www.birdingintaiwan.com
Good birds, good food, good friends!