Birding in Taiwan

 

 

Birds in Taiwan

Endemic Species

Collared Bush-Robin

Flamecrest

Formosan Magpie

Formosan Whistling-Thrush

Mikado Pheasant

Steere's Liocichla

Styan's Bulbul

Swinhoe's Pheasant

Taiwan Barwing

Taiwan Bush-Warbler

Taiwan Partridge

Taiwan Yuhina

White-eared Sibia

White-whiskered Laughingthrush

Yellow Tit

 

Possible Future Full Species

 

Endemic Sub-Species

Alpine Accentor

Barred Buttonquail

Besra

Black Bulbul

Black Drongo

Black-browed Barbet

Black Kite

Black-naped Monarch

Bronzed Drongo

Brown Bullfinch

Brown-eared Bulbul

Chinese Bamboo-Partridge

Collared Finchbill

Collared Scops-Owl

Collared Owlet

Coal Tit

Crested Goshawk

Crested Serpent-Eagle

Dusky Fulvetta

Eurasian Jay

Eurasian Nutcracker

Gray Treepie

Gray-cheeked Fulvetta

 Gray-headed Bullfinch

Green-backed Tit

House Swift

Hwamei

Island Thrush

Lanyu’ Scops-Owl

Maroon Oriole

Mountain Scops-Owl

Oriental Skylark

Oriental Turtle-Dove

Plain Prinia

Pygmy Wren-Babbler

Ring-necked Pheasant

Rufous-capped Babbler

 Rusty Laughingthrush

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

Streak-throated Fulvetta

Striated Prinia

Varied Tit

Vinaceous Rosefinch 

Vinous-throated Parrotbill

Whistling Green-Pigeon

White-bellied Green-Pigeon

White-browed Bush-Robin

White-browed Shortwing

White-tailed Robin

White-throated Laughingthrush

Winter Wren

 

More Birds in Taiwan

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-faced Spoonbill

Black-naped Oriole

Black-throated Tit

Black-winged Stilt

Cattle Egret

Chinese Crested Tern

Cinnamon Bittern

Common Kingfisher

Common Kestrel

Common Moorhen

Daurian Redstart

Eurasian Wigeon

Fairy Pitta

Fork-tailed or Pacific Swift

Garganey

Gray-chinned Minivet

Gray-faced Buzzard

Gray Heron

Great Egret

Greater Painted-Snipe

Ijima’s Leaf-Warbler

Intermediate Egret

Japanese White-eye

Little Forktail

Little Grebe

Malayan Night-heron

Northern Shoveler

Osprey

Pale Thrush

Red Collared-Dove

Russet Sparrow

Spot-billed Duck

Spotted Dove

White-breasted Waterhen

Yellow Bittern

 

 

SPOTLIGHT ON TAIWAN “Endemic Subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, by N. J. Collar, from BirdingASIA No. 2, December 2004.  Presented with permission.  BirdingASIA is the bulletin of the Oriental Bird Club.  Please see our Links page for benefits of membership in the OBC.

 

 

Striated Prinia

Prinia criniger striata

 

Endemic Subspecies

 

The Striated Prinia is a small (15 cm) bird with brown upperparts heavily streaked with blackish brown, whitish underparts with black streaking, and light buff flanks.  There is pale streaking on the crown and mantle, which is more accentuated in the Taiwan subspecies striata.  Otherwise, differences with the adjacent mainland subspecies are minor.  The tail is long and graduated.

The Striated Prinia feeds mainly on insects such as caterpillars, ants and small beetles.  Its song consists of a series of two to four notes of a buzzy, scraping quality.  Males sing from a prominent perch such as a tall grass stalk or shrub.  The call  is a sharp “tchack, tchack”.

The Striated Prinia is a common resident of Taiwan in open grassy and shrubby areas and old agricultural fields from low to mid elevations.

 

References:  A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); N. J. Collar, “Endemic subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, in Birding ASIA, Number 2, December 2004