Naturetrek Taiwan - Endemics & Winter Birds

14th November – 23rd November 2014

Gadwall Anas strepera Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope American Wigeon Anas americana Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Northern Pintail Anas acuta Garganey Anas querquedula Baikal Teal Anas formosa Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula Chinese Bamboo-Partridge Bambusicola thoracicus Swinhoe's Pheasant Lophura swinhoii Mikado Pheasant Syrmaticus mikado Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis Cinnamon Bittern Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Gray Heron Ardea cinerea Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Great Egret Ardea alba Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes Little Egret Egretta garzetta Pacific Reef-Heron Egretta sacra Pied Heron Egretta picata Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus Striated Heron Butorides striata Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor Osprey Pandion haliaetus Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Oriental Honey-buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus Crested Serpent-Eagle Spilornis cheela Mountain Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus nipalensis Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis Eastern Marsh-Harrier Circus spilonotus Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus Besra Accipiter virgatus Black Kite Milvus migrans White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca Eurasian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus Long-billed Plover Charadrius placidus Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola Common Redshank Tringa totanus Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Dunlin Calidris alpina Swinhoe's Snipe Gallinago megala Saunders's Gull Saundersilarus saundersi Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris Little Tern Sternula albifrons Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana Rock Pigeon Columba livia Ashy Wood-Pigeon Columba pulchricollis Oriental Turtle-Dove Streptopelia orientalis Red Collared-Dove Streptopelia tranquebarica Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus Mountain Scops-Owl Otus spilocephalus Collared Scops-Owl Otus lettia Silver-backed Needletail Hirundapus cochinchinensis House Swift Apus nipalensis Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Taiwan Barbet Megalaima nuchalis Gray-capped Woodpecker Dendrocopos canicapillus White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Gray-chinned Minivet Pericrocotus solaris Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca Black Drongo Dicrurus macrocercus Bronzed Drongo Dicrurus aeneus Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius Taiwan Blue-Magpie Urocissa caerulea Gray Treepie Dendrocitta formosae Eurasian Magpie Pica pica Eurasian Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes Large-billed Crow Corvus macrorhynchos Oriental Skylark Alauda gulgula Gray-throated Martin Riparia chinensis Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Striated Swallow Cecropis striolata Asian House-Martin Delichon dasypus Varied Tit Poecile varius Coal Tit Periparus ater Green-backed Tit Parus monticolus Yellow Tit Parus holsti Black-throated Tit Aegithalos concinnus Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii Collared Finchbill Spizixos semitorques Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis Black Bulbul Hypsipetes leucocephalus Flamecrest Regulus goodfellowi Taiwan Cupwing Pnoepyga formosana Rufous-faced Warbler Abroscopus albogularis Japanese Bush-Warbler Horornis diphone Brownish-flanked Bush-Warbler Horornis fortipes Yellowish-bellied Bush-Warbler Horornis acanthizoides Dusky Warbler Phylloscopus fuscatus Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus Pale-legged Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera Yellow-bellied Prinia Prinia flaviventris Plain Prinia Prinia inornata Taiwan Fulvetta Fulvetta formosana Vinous-throated Parrotbill Sinosuthora webbiana Taiwan Yuhina Yuhina brunneiceps Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus Rufous-capped Babbler Cyanoderma ruficeps Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler Pomatorhinus musicus Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler Megapomatorhinus erythrocnemis Dusky Fulvetta Schoeniparus brunneus Gray-cheeked Fulvetta Alcippe morrisonia Taiwan Hwamei Garrulax taewanus Rusty Laughingthrush Ianthocincla poecilorhyncha White-whiskered Laughingthrush Trochalopteron morrisonianum White-eared Sibia Heterophasia auricularis Steere's Liocichla Liocichla steerii Taiwan Barwing Actinodura morrisoniana Oriental Magpie-Robin Copsychus saularis White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus Vivid Niltava Niltava vivida Japanese Robin Larvivora akahige Taiwan Whistling-Thrush Myophonus insularis Little Forktail Enicurus scouleri Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus White-browed Bush-Robin Tarsiger indicus Collared Bush-Robin Tarsiger johnstoniae Plumbeous Redstart Phoenicurus fuliginosus Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus Blue Rock-Thrush Monticola solitarius Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus Scaly Thrush Zoothera dauma Japanese Thrush Turdus cardis Eyebrowed Thrush Turdus obscurus Pale Thrush Turdus pallidus Brown-headed Thrush Turdus chrysolaus Dusky Thrush Turdus eunomus Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus Jungle Myna Acridotheres fuscus Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Black-collared Starling Gracupica nigricollis Plain Flowerpecker Dicaeum minullum Fire-breasted Flowerpecker Dicaeum ignipectus Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea White Wagtail Motacilla alba Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni Yellow-browed Bunting Emberiza chrysophrys Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala Pallas's Bunting Emberiza pallasi Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus Taiwan Rosefinch Carpodacus formosanus Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Indian Silverbill Euodice malabarica White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata Nutmeg Mannikin Lonchura punctulata Chestnut Munia Lonchura atricapilla

Birds heard only:

Taiwan Partridge Arborophila crudigularis Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush Ianthocincla ruficeps (seen, leader only) Gray-headed Bullfinch Pyrrhula erythaca White-bellied Pigeon Treron sieboldii (leader only) White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Black-throated Laughingthrush Ianthocincla chinensis (leader only) Manchurian Bush-Warbler Horornis canturians (seen, leader only) Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula (seen, early arrivals only) Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis (seen, early arrivals only) Collared Owlet Glaucidium brodiei Brown Wood-Owl Strix leptogrammica Himalayan Owl Strix nivicola Common Tern (seen, from photos after)

Other wildlife of note:

Formosan Serow Capricornis swinhoei Seen at higher elevations in Dasyueshan.

Formosan Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi micrurus Seen in Dasyueshan, and heard several times in Dasyueshan, Alishan, and Wulai.

Formosan Striped Squirrel Tamiops maritimus Seen at various locations and elevations.

Owston's Long-nosed Tree Squirrel Dremomys pernyi owstoni Seen well at higher elevations.

Red-bellied Tree Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus Seen at usually lower elevations.

Chinese Civet Viverricula indica pallida Unfortunately caught in hunter’s trap. Local hikers were working to save it.

White-faced Flying Squirrel petaurista alborufus lena Seen well, and often heard in Dasyueshan Forest.

Formosan Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis Heard at Dasyueshan Forest.

Formosan Wild Boar Sus scrofa taivanus Scat and footprints noted at Dasyueshan.

Formosan Macaque Macaca cyclopis Seen well (but not too well!) at various locations.

Unidentified bats at mostly lower elevations.

Insects: mostly low elevation Dasyueshan, Guantien, Tataka, Wulai, and Yehliu. List not conclusive.

Dragonflies and Mayflies: Formosan Jewelwing, Formosan Piedwing, Short-tailed Gossamerwing, Eastern Lilysquatter, Orange-tailed Sprite, Red Sprite, Hyaline Dusk- hawker, Blue Dasher, Common Pruinose Skimmer, Pied Percher, Red Percher, Variegated Flutterer, Evening Skimmer.

Butterflies, moths, and spiders: Chinese Windmill, Common Bluebottle, Common Jay, Lime, Common Mormon, Common Raven, Chinese Peacock, Taiwan Peacock, various whites and yellows, Common Albatross, Spotted Sawtooth, Psyche, Yellow Orange Tip, Great Orange Tip, Common Tiger, Plain Tiger, Blue Tiger, Glassy Tiger, Swinhoe’s Tiger, Chestnut Tiger, Double-banded Black Crow, Paperkite, various ‘ring’ satyridae, Bamboo Treebrown, Common Treebrown, Common Leopard, Rustic, Peacock Pansy, Lemon Pansy, Blue Pansy, Chocolate Pansy, Indian Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Blue Admiral, Danid Egg-fly, Great Egg-fly, various neptis, Common Mapwing, White-banded Leopard Cat, Common Beak, plus many lycaenidae and hesperiidae! Decent numbers of moths at well-lit buildings at Dasyueshan, Wulai and Alishan. Good numbers of spiders observed only these two studied: Argiope aemula, Nephila pilipes LOCUST still to be identified!

Amphibians and reptiles: Swinhoe’s Japalura Japalura swinhonis, Elegant Five-lined Skink Plestiodon elegans (both adult and blue-tailed juvenile), Common House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus, Red-ear Slider Turtle (introduced), Yellow-margined Box Turtle Cuora flavomarginata. Latouche’s Frog Rana latouchii (heard in Wulai), Central Formosan Toad Bufo bankorensis (seen Wulai and Alishan), Taipei Treefrog Rhacophorus taipeianus (heard while owling in Wulai).