Taiwan

Swinhoe's Pheasant © Simon Tang/Shutterstock

A fantastic opportunity to visit this safe, comfortable, and bird-rich isle. Beautiful landscapes, friendly people, and wonderful food abound. This tour appeals to both the keen birder and those looking for a short, enjoyable trip to a modern and popular part of Asia. Like Japan, there are relatively short, direct flights to Taiwan from several locations in the USA.

Taiwan has always been the forgotten gem of east Asia, but it is making a resurgence in the minds of birders around the world. This surprisingly dynamic isle provides a perfect introduction to east Asian birding and a fabulous expedition for those seeking its specialties. Since VENT’s last tour to Taiwan in 2009, this isolated paradise has gained many new endemics, bringing the current total to 31 endemic birds. This makes Taiwan a must for those looking to appreciate its ecological significance.

In the last 20 years, Taiwan’s infrastructure, hotels, and accessibility have improved markedly. The overall impression of Taiwan is something of an intermediary between Japan and China. The beauty of a trip to Taiwan is the compactness of the place and the ease of pace at which one can travel and see new birds each day. Our tour hopes to capitalize on this by being relatively short, focusing on the endemics and specialties while providing a wonderful overview of the country.

We will start in the modern capital, Taipei, before heading into the lush mountains that dominate the island’s center. From there we will explore the coastal fringes teeming with migrants, before a short boat trip to one of Asia’s most beautiful islands—Lanyu. Our overnight stay here is reminiscent of the Philippines or Okinawa in both the birds and local culture. In addition to the tantalizing list of endemics, Taiwan is undoubtedly the best place to search for the declining Fairy Pitta. Taiwan also hosts a beautiful variety of east Asian waders in breeding plumage as they stock up before their next flight to Siberia. Some of the more tantalizing endemics include the splendid Mikado and Swinhoe’s pheasants, the raucous Taiwan Blue-Magpie, the tiny and intricate Flamecrest, and the beautiful and confiding Taiwan Rosefinch, along with a host of oriental families with members endemic to Taiwan—laughingthrush, sibia, fulvetta, yuhina, liocichla, and hwamei.

Come back with us to a place where birds and people are at harmony on a truly unique island.