OMG we got Taiwan Thrush!

I once read that ‘Taiwan is brimming with beauty for two reasons: One is the natural beauty of the island, and the other is the efforts of the Taiwanese people to preserve that beauty.’
I have to agree, the desire to preserve natural lands is palpable on a visit to Taiwan. Taiwanese society clearly places a high value on conservation, and both the government and the public actively work towards preserving the natural environment for future generations. As eco-tourists, it is refreshing to visit a place where the people enjoy spending time in nature just as much as we do! (And where recycling is promoted, plastic bags are only available in stores if you purchase them, trash is not found on streets or in parks and people are regularly spotted refilling their own reusable bottles.)

While at Daxueshan, we noticed a recent eBird checklist from a few local Taiwanese birders who reported 6 Taiwan Thrushes from a location not too far away. Taiwan Thrush is typically one of the hardest birds to see in Taiwan, occurring in low densities and difficult to spot as they follow fruiting trees. Some bird tours miss seeing this bird altogether so the fact that 6 birds were reported not far from where we were staying was great news! We just needed to find out where. (Again, eBird is a great resource for tracking birds but finding an exact location can be a challenge if the checklist “pin” is not in the correct location. In this case the checklist point was not accurate and Ross, the king of deciphering maps and looking at satellite imagery, could not figure out a way to access.) Ross then quickly contacted Scott Lin, the eBird reviewer for Taiwan, who was able to reach out to one of the original observers and kindly share the exact location of the fruiting tree where they saw the birds. eBird is a fantastic resource that connects birders from around the world and we were extremely grateful that Scott took the time to respond to our request and provide information to visiting birders. Scott, if you see this, thanks again for being so helpful and welcoming! Again, it is refreshing to visit a place where the local people, many of whom are birders/photographers themselves, actually want you to see the birds! It makes Taiwan even more of a desirable destination for birders!

We arrived at the GPS point of the fruiting tree and immediately noticed the high activity in the area with birdsong. Taiwan Barbets were calling up a storm, Black Bulbuls were everywhere, and to our surprise, a Taiwan Thrush flew into the exact tree we were standing under! We hadn’t been at the spot for more than five minutes before we had our main target in sight! We then had the opportunity to watch a total of 6 Taiwan Thrushes flying from tree to tree, and due to the topography of the slopes and trees along the road, we were able to observe them at eye level. Ross pointed out that it is very rare for birders to have such a good view of this bird. We were very thankful to have found ourselves along this particular road and if we had more time, we would have gladly spent an entire day here!

As I mentioned in the last post, Taiwanese people on holiday were spending their time in nature. Alishan National Park was a last minute addition to our trip so we could hopefully see a male Mikado Pheasant but Alishan happens to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. I’m not sure what we expected but we were surprised to find out that Alishan was filled to the brim with visitors! It was quite a challenge to even find a hotel with an available room (we called over 15 places and still none had availability for two nights in a row so we had to stay in one hotel the first night and transfer to another for the second night.) Upon arrival, there was hardly any parking space in the area. Nevertheless, Alishan was a delightful place to visit, so it’s understandable that everyone else had the same idea! The park boasts rich biodiversity, with a variety of habitats ranging from lowland forests to high mountainous regions and this diverse ecosystem supports a wide array of bird species. The park features lush forests, picturesque mountains, tranquil lakes, and breathtaking viewpoints and observing birds amidst such scenic surroundings adds an extra level of enjoyment to the birding adventure. The park was well-maintained without being overly manicured and it had a rustic charm in all the right ways. We explored numerous trails in search of birds and managed to get away from the most crowded areas. A few bird highlights included great views of Golden Parrotbill, Brown Bullfinch, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Taiwan Cupwing, Taiwan Shortwing, and more!

This birding occurred on 27-29 June 2023.
Sample eBird Checklist (here or here) if you want to check it out!