I spent ten days in Taiwan on a Birding2Asia tour along with four other birders in late March. Taiwan is only a third the size of the Republic of Ireland but has four times the population. Most of are found around the coastal areas while there are still huge areas of forest left inland (60% compared to 11% in Ireland). From a birding viewpoint Taiwan is known for its 27 endemic species i.e. found no where else in the world.
I flew out from Dublin to Taipei via Schiphol, Netherlands via Xiamen, China. I arrived a few hours before the official start of the tour so I took a wander around the area around the hotel for a few hours which consisted of gardens, river and rice paddies. A nice introduction to East Asian birding at my own pace. A modest total of 35 species which consisted of mostly common species but it did include a single Chinese Pond Heron and a Lesser Coucal which were the only ones of the trip and Crested Mynas feeding on green lawns between the highways which seem to be rapidly replaced by introduced Common and Javan Mynas. The proper birding would commence the following morning.
I flew out from Dublin to Taipei via Schiphol, Netherlands via Xiamen, China. I arrived a few hours before the official start of the tour so I took a wander around the area around the hotel for a few hours which consisted of gardens, river and rice paddies. A nice introduction to East Asian birding at my own pace. A modest total of 35 species which consisted of mostly common species but it did include a single Chinese Pond Heron and a Lesser Coucal which were the only ones of the trip and Crested Mynas feeding on green lawns between the highways which seem to be rapidly replaced by introduced Common and Javan Mynas. The proper birding would commence the following morning.
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Grey Heron and Chinese Pond Heron |
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| Common Snipe |
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| Common Snipe |
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| Adult Serpent Eagle |
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| Sub-adult Crested Serpent Eagle |
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| Black-shouldered Kite |
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| Common Myna |
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| Yellow-bellied Prinia |
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| Light-vented/Chinese Bulbul |
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| Brown-headed Thrush |
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| Chestnut-tailed Starling |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Tree Sparrow |
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| Eastern Yellow Wagtail taivana |
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