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

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

 

 

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.

 

TAIWAN BIRDS:  POSSIBLE FUTURE FULL SPECIES

 

            As of October 2006, Taiwan has 15 endemic species and over 60 endemic subspecies.   Some of the endemic subspecies are sufficiently different from other races to merit elevation to full species status.  Comprehensive studies have been undertaken for some; others have been suggested as full species based on significant differences in plumage, vocalization, habitat preference or breeding morphology.

 

            The most likely next full species:        

Taiwan Hwamei  Garrulax taewanus

 

            References:

            BirdingASIA 2: 34–52, “Subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, Nigel J. Collar, 2004.

            Forktail 22:  85–112, “A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae)”, Nigel J. Collar, 2006.

             Ibis, Vol. 148, Issue 4, October 2006, page 698; “Species delimitation in the Hwamei Garrulax canorus”, Shou-Hsien Li, Jing-Wen Li, Lian-Xian Han, Cheng-Te Yao, Haitao Shi, Fu-Min Lei and  Chungwei Yen.

 

            The next most likely full species:

Taiwan Barbet  Megalaima nuchalis 

                       

            References:

            Abstracts, One Hundred and Twenty-second Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologists' Union, in conjunction with the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists, Société des Ornithologistes du Canada, 16 - 21 August 2004, “Molecular systematics and historical biogeography of the Black-browed Barbet species complex (Megalaima oorti, S. Muller 1835)”, Julie Feinstein, Ambrose Monell Collection Molecular & Microbial Research, American  Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, Xiaojun Yang, Kunming Institute of Zoology, China Academy of  Sciences, Kunming, China, and Shou-Hsien Li, Department of  Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.

            BirdingASIA 2: 34–52, “Subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, Nigel J. Collar, 2004.

            Forktail 22:  170–173, “A taxonomic reappraisal of the Black-Browed Barbet Megalaima oorti”, Nigel J. Collar, 2006.

 

            Other possible full species:

 

Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler  Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush  Garrulax ruficeps

Rusty Laughingthrush  Garrulax poecilorhynchus

Taiwan Fulvetta  Alcippe formosana

Taiwan Scimitar Babbler  Pomatorhinus musicus

Taiwan Wren Babbler  Pnoepyga formosana 

 

            Reference:

            Forktail 22:  85–112, “A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae)”, Nigel J. Collar, 2006.  Includes  Taiwan Hwamei  Garrulax taewanus.

 

            …and…

 

Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler  Cettia fortipes robustipes

Chinese Bamboo Partridge  Bambusicola thoracicus sonorivox

Island Thrush  Turdus poliocephalus niveiceps

White-browed Shortwing  Brachypteryx montana goodfellowi

 

            Reference:

            BirdingASIA 2: 34–52, “Subspecies of Taiwan birds—first impressions”, Nigel J. Collar, 2004.

 

A partial revision of the Asian babblers

電話:02-23586186  傳真:02-23586190    聯絡人:卓倩慧

  TIBA為國爭光出國比賽得冠軍

國際鳥盟全球研究計畫負責人Dr. N. J. Collar 與一組鳥類分類學家,於近期內密集拜訪大英自然歷史博物館、美國自然歷史博物館、紐約、華盛頓特區、巴黎自然歷史博物館及Genoa自然歷史博物館,檢查了各類亞洲畫眉的標本,然後測量每一隻鳥不同的部位,比較牠們的大小、型態及顏色,用一個計數系統標準來分級,它的標準是巨大明顯差異部分得三分、中度差異兩分、小差異一分。所有的得分標準如果超過七分,那麼證據足夠將特有亞種提升為一個獨立的特有種,用這套標準台灣將有上述七種新的特有種產生。

慶幸的是特有生物研究中心以及國內的鳥類學者已同步在今年完成畫眉的基因研究,並被國際鳥類期刊審核通過正式為新的特有種,表示台灣的生態保育以及鳥類研究正逐步趕上國際水準。

台灣國際觀鳥協會(TIBA)理事長楊宗哲立委表示,以台灣這麼小的面積中,除了原來的十五種特有種外,若再加上這七個新的特有種,那麼對於吸引世界各國的鳥友來台灣從事賞鳥及生態旅遊有很大的誘因。觀鳥協會所設立的網站http://www.birdingintaiwan.com在短短一年內以黃文欣、郭耿光及廖本興等鳥類攝影家,所拍攝精美的特有種及特有亞種照片,吸引了超過一百四十五個國家的鳥友,點閱率更突破五百萬人次,成為全球最受歡迎的鳥類網站之一。協會並將Dr. N. J. Collar的論文貼在網站上,讓全球的鳥人分享這個好消息。

台灣國際觀鳥協會在交通部(觀光局)、外交部、農委會(林務局南投林區管理處)及連江縣政府、馬祖野鳥協會、彰化縣野鳥協會、OLMPUS會長郭耿光先生、中國石油股份有限公司的協助下參加今年2006年全球最大的生態保育及旅遊特展:大英鳥展,在450個攤位來自五十六個國家的各國攤位競爭下,以台灣人的熱情勇奪國際組金牌獎,交通部蔡堆部長於95914日下午兩點,在交通部觀光局旅遊服務中心(台北市敦化北路一段240號)頒發金牌獎狀予各贊助單位,感謝他們的全力支持。

 

 

 

FORKTAIL, Journal of Asian Ornithology, No. 22, August 2006, pp. 85–112

A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae)

 

N. J. Collar, BirdLife International, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA

 

 

            Dr. Nigel Collar visited seven major natural history museums in the UK, USA, France, the Netherlands and Italy (Natural History Museum, Tring, UK; American Museum of Natural History, New York; National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC; Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris; Naturalis, Leiden; Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh; and Museum of Natural History, Genoa) to examine study skins of Asian babblers.  He measured the birds’ various body parts and compared their size, shape and colors.  Using a scoring system developed by a team of ornithologists (including himself), he graded differences between the birds.  He assigned 3 points for major differences, 2 points for medium differences, and 1 point for minor differences.  All of the points had to equal at least 7 (including at least some major or medium differences) for a bird to be raised from subspecies status to full species status.

            Although the scoring method is “simplistic, crude and arbitrary,” it is a consistent and useful evaluation tool.  Using this scoring method, 44 Asian subspecies qualify for elevation to full species status.  Under this scoring system, Taiwan would gain 7 more endemic babbler species:  Garralax ruficeps, G. poecilorhynchus, G. taewanus, Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis, P. musicus, Pnoepyga formosana and Alcippe formosana.

 

Bird names in the following table are according to Inskipp, T., Lindsey, N. and Duckworth, W.  (1996)  An annotated checklist of the birds of the Oriental region.  Sandy, U.K. :  Oriental Bird Club.


 

Proposed new species:

DERIVED from:

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Garrulax ruficeps

White-throated Laughingthrush, Garrulax albogularis

Rusty Laughingthrush, Garrulax poecilorhynchus

Note: This proposed species is currently treated  with the proposed Buffy Laughingthrush Garrulax berthemyi as two (of 3) subspecies of G. poecilorhynchus.  The new Taiwan endemic would retain both the English and Latin names.  

Taiwan Hwamei, Garrulax taewanus

Chinese Hwamei, Garrulax canorus

Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis

Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler, Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis.  The new Taiwan endemic would retain the Latin name.  

Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus musicus

Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus ruficollis

Taiwan Wren Babbler, Pnoepyga formosana 

Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler, Pnoepyga albiventer

Taiwan Fulvetta, Alcippe formosana

Streak-throated  Fulvetta, Alcippe cinereiceps

 

            On Taiwan, Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush seems to be relatively uncommon, or with very limited distribution.   Taiwan Hwamei is more common, but is at greater risk because of genetic swamping from Chinese Hwamei, which is imported into Taiwan as a cagebird because of its song, and which escapes regularly.

 

            Acknowledgement:  Thanks to Dr. Nigel J. Collar for comments on this condensation of his article.   Jo Ann MacKenzie

 

FORKTAIL is published twice yearly, January and June, by the Oriental Bird Club, Bedford, UK, www.orientalbirdclub.org .