My Future in Birding

For as long as I can remember, I have had a deep passion for birds. Birding isn’t a very popular hobby or passion for young people in Taiwan, so most of the birders I know are either retired or almost retired. For all the years I have been birding, I have never met someone my age who shares the same birding passion. Most of my friends are more interested in video games and aren’t particularly interested in birding or nature, so I hope that in the future I'll be able to find others like me that eat, sleep, and drink birding. Now that I’m getting ready to enter my high school years, I have begun to think more seriously about what I want to do in the future. I’m really hopeful that I can find some way to make a career out of my love for birding and nature.

Taiwan Yellow Tit

I hope to participate in ornithological research in the future, observing birds in the field. I think I would prefer field research, because it involves live birds. I also hope that I will be able to help conserve bird habitats and protect birds in the future, because I care deeply about them. From my volunteer work with the Wild Bird Society, I have seen how birds are a bellwether species. Natural areas that have been preserved or restored have seen dramatic upswings in populations of wintering birds like the globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. It is through the work of birders and ornithologists that these results have been possible. I hope by doing research on birds I can raise awareness about climate change and deforestation, and bring positive change to Taiwan.

Swinhoe's Pheasant

I hope to let the public know what's happening, and make an impact on government policies. For example, although many people think green energy, especially solar power, is a 100% positive thing, birders know first-hand that solar farms have greatly reduced the space wetland birds have, making their chances of surviving even lower. I hope that in the future, research will help the public understand the delicate nature of these ecosystems, and introduce change to government policies, helping to find a balance between green energy and environmental preservation.

Amur Stonechat

~Article and Photos by Isaac Lang

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Daxueshan

A Swinhoe's Pheasant If anyone ever were to ask: "What's your favorite birding spot in Taiwan?" I think I would have a lot of trouble answering the question succinctly, but Daxueshan would definitely be near the top of the list. I have only been there a few times, but every time I go there, it never ceases to amaze me. It is unique in that it has very diverse flora and fauna and with a road stretching from sea level to nearly 2500 meters, you can see lowland birds all the way up to alpine forest birds. The forest road going up Daxueshan is 50 kilometers long and there are birding spots all up and down its length. A Collared Bush-Robin Daxueshan is renown for being the most reliable place to see nearly all of Taiwan's endemic bird species, including the Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan's national bird. It is a deep, rich blue and has the typically long tail of a pheasant, but unfortunately, I have only ever seen the duller, brownish female. Since almost all other endem...

Blue-winged Leafbird

In the next few blog posts, I will be talking about some cool birds that I saw. This particular post I will be sharing about the Blue-winged Leafbird. This bird is very attractive, it has a green back, crown, a yellow belly and breast, a blue-tipped wing, and a black throat. This Leafbird is usually found in broadleaf forests. It is related to fairy-bluebirds, birds I also saw in Malaysia. The Blue-winged Leafbirds are omnivores, mainly consuming insects and arthropods, and the occasional fruit. Besides that it is presumed to consume nectar as well. Leafbirds are interesting because they are one of the few birds that evolved in South-east Asia, and later spread to the himalayas and other parts of Asia. I saw this bird on the second day in Kubah, around noon. It was before the pavilion where we were going to head back. There was a lot of commotion, and all sorts of different birds started to show up, Fulvettas, Orioles, Drongos and of course, two Blue-winged Leafbirds. It...

Kinmen

A Black Kite Most of Taiwan's offshore islands have a lot to offer in terms of birding; there are almost certainly birds there you can't see on the mainland of Taiwan. Of all of them, though, I think Kinmen is the best. Besides being Taiwan's largest offshore island, it is also very close to China, meaning you can see many birds that would otherwise only be possible to see if you went to China. These birds can travel the few kilometers to Kinmen but won't travel all the way to Taiwan proper. A Eurasian Hoopoe Kinmen is very productive throughout the year. In the winter, the most interesting birds are the Great Crested Grebe, Red-throated Loon, Black-capped Kingfisher, Glossy Ibis, and many different kinds of cormorants. The summer also yields some very interesting birds, including the stunningly beautiful Fork-tailed Sunbird, the vividly colored Blue-tailed Bee-eater, the Pied Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, and of course, the iconic Eurasian Hoopoe. Blue-tailed...

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