Tainan Young Birder Blog

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...

The thing that pumps birders up, even really experienced birders, is the prospect of seeing a "lifer". A lifer is a term for a bird that you see for the first time. It's a concept I've only ever heard about in birding. Once you finally see that bird you've been searching and waiting around for months, once you finally see that lifer, its place in you changes. You never again feel quite the same way as you do the first time you see a lifer, and there is nothing more exhilarating than seeing a lifer.  A Greater Painted-Snipe (female) Since I've been birding for a while now, the concept of seeing a lifer has changed for me. I still remember when I first recognized a Light-vented Bulbul, a very common bird in city parks and school campuses. I felt such excitement, joy, and fulfilment, but now I barely give it a second glance. When I first started birding, seeing lifers was a constant thing, but now it's a rare treat. As you continue birding, seeing lifers gets...

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...