Bird-Photo-Tour Asia’s Taiwan photography adventure explores an island that is still not that well-established on the world birding map, yet is a place with one of the highest concentrations of endemic birds in Asia. Our Bird-Photo-Tour offers a comprehensive coverage of the island and the opportunity for close photographic encounters with Taiwan’s 30 endemic bird species, including Mikado and Swinhoe’s Pheasants, as well as the rare and beautiful Collared Bush Robin and Taiwan Rosefinch. Two hundred kilometres off the eastern coast of Mainland China lies the island of Taiwan. Known to the ancient Chinese, attracted by tales of its natural wealth, as ‘Bao Dao’ or ‘Treasure Island’ and known by the Portuguese as ‘Isla Formosa’ or ‘Beautiful Island’, this mountainous, picturesque, subtropical island set in the South China Sea is a prosperous place with a highly educated population and a well-developed infrastructure.
For the bird photographer, Taiwan has a great deal to offer. Most exciting of all are the many endemic species, most of which are especially attractive such as the multi-coloured Taiwan Barbet or the handsome Steere’s Liocichla. The itinerary for this Bird Photo Tour has been carefully designed by Bird-Photo-Tours Asia to allow the bird photographer long enough at key locations to obtain portrait quality images of this island’s special birds. Several of Taiwan’s endemics are either quite localized or very shy, such as Rusty Laughingthrush, Flamecrest or Taiwan Partridge and therefore requires time and effort to ensure these species are captured on film. Bird Phot Tours Asia’s specially tailored itinerary, led by its experienced Tour Leader and accompanied by its local network of guides, all skilled in the needs of the photographer, are factors that combine well to ensure that the bird photographer returns back to his / her hometown armed with portrait-quality images of the Birds of Taiwan.
Endemics: Mikado Pheasant / Taiwan Barbet / Flamecrest / Taiwan Blue Magpie / Taiwan Rosefinch / Taiwan Bullfinch / Swinhoe’s Pheasant / Taiwan Barwing / Taiwan Fulvetta / Styan’s Bulbul / Taiwan Whistling Thrush / Taiwan Scimitar Babbler / Collared Bush Robin / Steere’s Liocichla / Taiwan Yuhina / Taiwan Vivid Niltava / Taiwan Bush Robin / Taiwan Hwamei / Taiwan Partridge / White-eared Sibia / Rusty Laughingthrush / White-whiskered Laughingthrush / Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush / Taiwan Bush Warbler / Taiwan Shortwing.
Others: Spotted Nutcracker / Coal Tit / Golden Parrotbill / Taiwan Fulvetta / Fire-breasted Flowerpecker / Alpine Accentor / Chestnut-bellied Tit / White-bellied Erpornis / Grey-chinned Minivet / Black-throated Bushtit / Ring-necked Pheasant / Maroon Oriole / Collared Owlet / Ashy Wood Pigeon / Black-naped Oriole / Black-faced Spoonbill / Eastern Spot-billed Duck / Long-toed Stint / Oriental Pratincole / Oriental Honey Buzzard / Savanna Nightjar.
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Days 1-2, Taipei [1N / 0D / 0S]. Arrive Taipei, Evening: Dinner plus Bird-Photo-Tours Asia Presentation [Overnight: Taipei].
Days 2-3, Taitung County [1N / 0D / 2S]. Drive 4-Hours, 200km to Taitung County. Photographic Targets: Taiwan Yuhina / Yellow Tit / Taiwan Barbet / White-eared Sibia / Taiwan Vivid Niltava / Grey Treepie / Green-backed Tit /Rufous-faced Warbler / Black-throated Bushtit / Mikado Pheasant / Flamecrest / White-whiskered Laughingthrush / Collared Bush Robin / Spotted Nutcracker / Coal Tit.
Days 3-4, Chiayi County 1 [1N / 0D / 2S]. Drive 3-Hours, 150km to Chiayi County. Photographic Targets: Oriental Honey Buzzard.
Days 4-6, Chiayi County 2 [2N / 1D / 3S]. Drive 4-Hours, 250km to second location in Chiayi County. Photographic Targets: Flamecrest / Coal Tit / Golden Parrotbill / Taiwan Shortwing / White-browed Bush Robin / Taiwan Bullfinch / Taiwan Barwing / Steere’s Liocichla / Mikado Pheasant / White-eared Sibia / Chinese Vivid Niltava.
Days 6-8 Nantou County [2N / 1D / 4S]. Drive 4-Hours, 220km to Nantou County. Photographic Targets: Taiwan Fulvetta / Taiwan Bullfinch / Flamecrest / White-browed Bush Robin / Fire-breasted Flowerpecker / Golden Parrotbill / Taiwan Rosefinch / White-whiskered Laughingthrush / Alpine Accentor / Chestnut-bellied Tit / White-bellied Erpornis / Grey-chinned Minivet / Black-throated Bushtit.
Days 8-9, Hualien County [1N / 0D / 2S]. Drive 2-Hours, 60km to Hualien County. Photographic Targets: Styan’s Bulbul / Ring-necked Pheasant / Maroon Oriole / Styan’s Bulbul / Taiwan Hwamei / Taiwan Barwing / Collared Owlet / Ashy Wood Pigeon / Maroon Oriole.
Days 9-10, Hualien County [1N / 0D / 2S]. Drive 1-Hours, 40km to second location in Hualien County. Photographic Targets: Ring-necked Pheasant / Maroon Oriole / Black-naped Oriole.
Days 10-11, Ilan County [1N / 0D / 1S]. Drive 3-Hours, 125km to Ilan County. Photographic Targets: Black-faced Spoonbill / Ring-necked Pheasant / Eastern Spot-billed Duck / Long-toed Stint.
Days 11-13, Taipei [2N / 1D / 3S]. Drive 2-Hours, 70km to Taipei [Overnight: Taipei]. Photographic Targets: Swinhoe’s Pheasant / Taiwan bamboo Partridge / Taiwan Bamboo Partridge / Taiwan Blue Magpie.
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Roland was born in Munich in 1970. His love for nature started at an early age through his passion for mountaineering which in turn developed his interest in environmental protection. Roland spent over two decades in China from 1998 to 2021 living predominantly in Sichuan Province in western China and working as a professional guide on bird as well as mammal tours. With many of Roland’s clients being photographers, Roland has developed considerable skills and knowledge in supporting the needs of the bird photographer. Roland’s travels throughout China and South East Asia are extensive from the Tibetan Plateau to the Chinese lowlands to the rainforests of both Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia: Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Roland is fluent in Chinese, English and German and has a friendly, amicable disposition, displaying both care and thoughtfulness towards his clients, in addition to possessing strong field identification skills, all of which have combined well generating a positive reputation as a Tour Leader, particularly amongst bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. Summary: for these five reasons this trip has been graded as 'Easy'.
