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-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

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

Pygmy Wren-Babbler

Ring-necked Pheasant

 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

Chinese Crested Tern

Cinnamon Bittern

Common Kingfisher

Common Moorhen

Daurian Redstart

Fairy Pitta

Gray-chinned Minivet

Gray-faced Buzzard

Gray Heron

Greater Painted-Snipe

Ijima’s Leaf-Warbler

Japanese White-eye

Little Forktail

Malayan Night-heron

Red Collared-Dove

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.

 

 

Barred Buttonquail

Turnix suscitator rostrata

 

Endemic Subspecies

 

The Barred Buttonquail is a small (16 cm) quail-like bird.  Females have a blackish crown with gray and white mottling, a black chin and throat, black barring on the upper breast, and rufous flanks, belly and undertail.  The male is smaller, has black barring on the throat, flanks and upper breast, and rufous flanks and undertail.  Both sexes are mottled brown above.  The bill and legs are gray.  The Taiwan race rostrata may be slightly more rufous below (female) and the male may have reduced barring on the throat, but differences with mainland subspecies appear to be minor.

 

The Barred Buttonquail prefers grassland, crops, deserted fields, scrub, bamboo thickets and forest edges.  The nest is a pad of grass in a depression on the ground, often in a grass clump with the strands of grass pulled over to form a dome with a side entrance. The female usually lays 4 eggs.  Buttonquails have reversed sex roles: the females are larger and more brightly patterned and the male incubates the eggs and raises the chicks alone

 

The Barred Buttonquail is secretive, shy and difficult to observe in the wild.  If frightened, it will usually squat, immobile, and if approached closely may creep or run away.  In Taiwan it is a common resident from lowlands to mid elevations.

 

 

References:  Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 3

 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