BIRDING IN
TAIWAN
ENDEMICS and BLACK-FACED SPOONBILL
NOVEMBER 5–18, 2007
Leaders: Simon Liao, Honourary Chairman, Wild Bird Federation of Taiwan
and Jo Ann MacKenzie, Taiwan International Birding Association (Canada)
Summary:
1 to 10 participants (no minimum)
Major habitats of the west coast, central mountains, Taroko Gorge, the
southeast
Moderate pace
Mostly easy to moderate walking; some steep paths in “high mountain”
habitat
Accommodation with private bathrooms
Chilly to cold at high elevations; warm to hot and humid at low
elevations
Transportation by air-conditioned bus
Opportunities to sample Taiwanese culture and cuisine
ITINERARY
5 November (Monday), Day 1
Fly EVA Airways at 1:00 a.m., from Vancouver to Taipei. It will be
necessary to be at Vancouver International Airport by 10:30 p.m. on the
evening of November 4, for flight check-in.
6 November (Tuesday), Day 2
Arrive Taiwan Taoyuan (formerly Chiang Kai-shek) International Airport,
in Taoyuan County, 40 km west of Taipei at 5:30 a.m. We will transfer
to our bus, drive south and begin to climb to the Wufeng area, 300 to
400 m (1,000 to 1,300 feet) elevation. We will make stops in suitable
habitat to look for Collared Finchbill, Formosan Whistling Thrush,
Black-browed (Muller`s) Barbet, Gray-capped Woodpecker, Formosan
Magpie. Then we will turn east and climb higher to Huisun Forest
Station. Possibilities include Formosan Magpie, 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.
7 November (Wednesday), Day 3
Early morning 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 Naoliao Creek for Plumbeous Redstart and with luck, the
rare Little Forktail, watch for Taiwan Yuhina, Yellow Tit, Hwamei,
Fire-breasted and Plain Flowerpeckers, Black-browed Barbet, and after
dark, try for Mountain Scops-Owl. Night at Aowanda.
8 November (Thursday), Day 4
In the early morning, we may see Chinese Bamboo Partridge and Rufous-faced
Warbler. Leaving Aowanda, we will to climb to Chingjing, stopping on
the way in an open area of farm fields that can be productive for
raptors. We will arrive at Chingjing in mid-afternoon, and explore a
little of the Blue Gate Trail #1 before going to our hotel. Night in
Chingjing, elev. 1750 m (5740 ft.)
9 November (Friday), Day 5
We will make an early morning start to the Meifeng area in “high
mountain” habitat, to walk the Rueiyan River Trails, nicknamed “Blue
Gate Trails”, elev. 2200 m (7200 ft.) 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, Swinhoe’s Pheasant 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, Island
Thrush, Pygmy Wren-Babbler, White-browed Shortwing (the wren-babbler and
shortwing are both hard-to-see skulkers), Vineous-throated Parrotbill,
Eurasian Nuthatch, White-throated Laughingthrush, and others.
In the afternoon, we will continue to look for mountain
species. Return to Chingjing for the night.
10 November (Saturday), Day 6
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. On the way, we will visit 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. We
will watch for Brown Dipper, Little Forktail, and Fork-tailed Swift
among the hundreds of House Swifts. Night at Tienhsiang, elev. 485 m
(1592 ft.)
11 November (Sunday), Day 7
Early morning birding in the Tienhsiang area. We will exit through the
park’s East Gate, turn south to Hualien and drive along Taiwan’s scenic
east coast, crossing the Tropic of Cancer to Chihpen, with birding stops
along the way. Near Chihshiang, we will look for the endemic Taiwan
subspecies of the familiar, but here native and wild Ring-necked
Pheasant. Night in Chihpen Hot Springs.
12 November (Monday), Day 8
Morning birding in the Chihpen area; mid-elevation, looking for [Taiwan]
Hwamei, White-bellied Yuhina, Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Maroon
Oriole, Black-naped Monarch while watching for such raptors as Black
Eagle and Crested Serpent-Eagle. Drive south to Kenting in Taiwan’s
tropical “far south.” Night in Kenting.
13 November (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. Night in Kuangtselin at a hotel with hot
spring pools.
14 November (Wednesday), Day 10
Morning birding in the Tsengwen Dam area, elev. 220 m, (859 ft.),
looking for Maroon Oriole, Collared Finchbill, Spot-breasted
Scimitar-Babbler and other species of mid-elevation woodland below the
dam. We will also go to the very specialized water-chestnut habitat in
the Kwangtien wetland for Pheasant-tailed Jacana. Adjacent dry,
post-harvest rice fields may hold Oriental Skylark and Zitting Cisticola.
Night in Tainan.
15 November (Thursday), Day 11
Birding in the Tainan-Chiku area wetlands, where a large percentage of
the world’s Black-faced Spoonbills winter. Cinnamon Bittern and Yellow
Bittern are possible. We will continue north, re-crossing the Tropic of
Cancer, to bird the extensive wetland and upland habitat of Aougu.
Turning east, we will pass the city of Chiayi and begin to climb toward
Alishan. Night in Kwanghua, elev. 1,000 m (3,300 ft.)
16 November (Friday), Day 12
Early morning birding in broadleaf forest in the Kwanghua area;
Swinhoe’s Pheasant and Taiwan Partridge are possible. Continue to “high
mountain” habitat in Alishan Forest Recreation Area. After reaching
Alishan, we will have the rest of the day to look for species we may
have missed in montane habitat earlier. Night in Alishan NFRA.
17 November (Saturday), Day 13
Early morning birding, Alishan, and Tataka Recreation Area, 2600 m
(8,536 ft.), the highest elevation of the tour, in Yushan National Park
for more “high mountain” specialties. The drive will provide our best
chance for Mikado Pheasant. 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. We will look for Eurasian
Nutcracker, Gray-headed Bullfinch, White-whiskered Laughingthrush,
Flamecrest, Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler, Streak-breasted Fulvetta,
Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler and Golden Parrotbill. With much luck, we
might come across Taiwan Bush-Warbler (very difficult to find outside of
the breeding season). Then it will be time to leave the high mountains
and return to lowlands. The post-harvest fields in Huatan, south of
Changhua are often productive in fall for migrant and wintering
seed-eaters such as Black-faced Bunting, as well as Oriental Skylark,
Yellow Wagtail, Zitting Cisticola, and if we are lucky, Siberian
Rubythroat. Night in Changhua.
18 November (Sunday), 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. We
will stroll along an artisans’ street. Lunch. Continue to Taipei
(elev. 6 m; 20 ft.) to the Chinese Handicrafts Mart, for a shopping
opportunity. The 4-floor store has a wide range of Taiwan items, from
inexpensive souvenirs to fine art at fair, government–approved prices.
Supper, followed by a visit to one of Taipei’s famed Night Markets if
time permits.
Drive to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to await our
EVA Airways departure at 11:55 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
$5100 (sharing); $5600 (single)
From Taipei, Taiwan: 13 days
$4000 (sharing); $4500 (single)
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT: Register at least 60 days before start date; get
5% off trip price.
DEPOSIT: $500
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