Birding in Taiwan

 

 

Birds in Taiwan

Endemic Species

Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler

Buffy Laughingthrush

Collared Bush-Robin

Flamecrest

Formosan Magpie

Formosan Whistling-Thrush

Mikado Pheasant

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush

Steere's Liocichla

Styan's Bulbul

Swinhoe's Pheasant

Taiwan Barwing

Taiwan Bush-Warbler

Taiwan Fulvetta

Taiwan Hwamei

Taiwan Partridge

Taiwan Scimitar Babbler

Taiwan Wren Babbler

Taiwan Yuhina

White-eared Sibia

White-whiskered Laughingthrush

Yellow Tit

 

Endemic Sub-Species

Alpine Accentor

Besra

Black-browed Barbet

Black-naped Monarch

Black Bulbul

Black Drongo

Bronzed Drongo

Brown Bullfinch

Brown-eared Bulbul

Chinese Bamboo-Partridge

Collared Finchbill

Collared Scops-Owl

Collared Owlet

Crested Goshawk

Crested Serpent-Eagle

Eurasian Jay

Eurasian Nutcracker

Gray-cheeked Fulvetta

Gray Treepie

 Grey-headed Bullfinch

Green-backed Tit

Hwamei

Island Thrush

Lanyu’ Scops-Owl

Mountain Scops-Owl

Oriental Skylark

Oriental Turtle-Dove

Pygmy Wren-Babbler

Ring-necked Pheasant

Streak-breasted Scimitar-Babbler

Vinaceous Rosefinch

Whistling Green-Pigeon

White-bellied Green-Pigeon

White-browed Bush-Robin

White-browed Shortwing

White-tailed Robin

Winter Wren

Vinous-throated Parrotbill

 

More Birds in Taiwan

Black-faced Spoonbill

Black-naped Oriole

Black-throated Tit

Black-winged Stilt

Chinese Crested Tern

Common Kingfisher

Common Moorhen

Daurian Redstart

Fairy Pitta

Gray-chinned Minivet

Gray-faced Buzzard

Gray Heron

Greater Painted-Snipe

Japanese White-eye

Little Forktail

Malayan Night-heron

Red Collared-Dove

Spot-billed Duck

Spotted Dove

White-breasted Waterhen

 

 

 

Mountain Scops-Owl

Otus spilocephalus hambroecki

Endemic subspecies

 

The Mountain Scops-Owl is a small (18 cm) owl, dark brown above with a pale collar around the hind-neck, and a row of black-tipped, silver-white spots on the scapulars, forming a line above the wing on the resting bird.  Its facial disc is pale buff and very distinct, and its ear-tufts are long and bicoloured brown and pale buff.  The breast is buffy and finely streaked.  The iris is yellow, the bill whitish-buff and the feet are gray.  The Taiwan race hambroecki is darker brown than continental forms, and its facial pattern and nuchal collar are more distinct.

The Mountain Scops-Owl feeds mainly on large insects such as moths, beetles and cicadas, and will also take small rodents and birds.  It hunts mainly in the lower levels of the forest, and is strictly nocturnal.  It prefers dense mixed broadleaf evergreen forest, and in Taiwan is a common resident in mountains at moderate elevations.  Its distinctive two-note whistle “plew-plew” or “he-he” is repeated every 5-10 seconds .

 

 

References:  Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 5; 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