Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, or "beautiful island," is situated just 100 miles across the Taiwan Straits from Mainland China. The island is relatively small but its mountains are extremely high, reaching nearly 13,000 feet at Yushan (Jade Mountain). They rise straight out of the sea on the east coast, while the west side of the island is a flat and fertile plain, now mostly developed agriculturally with rice paddies. The population is about 24 million, heavily urbanized, and falling due to emigration. It is the central mountains that contain all but one of Taiwan's 28 (Clements) or 32 (IOC-BirdLife) endemic birds, which have doubled in number recognized since becoming better known and studied.

Star attractions for our birding tour include the wonderful Swinhoe's and Mikado pheasants, Taiwan Hill-Partridge, Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, the stunning Flamecrest, Collared Bush-Robin, the very local Styan's Bulbul, Malay Night-Heron, Taiwan Rosefinch, Taiwan Shortwing, Taiwan Cupwing, Taiwan Bush-Warbler, Alpine Accentor, Scaly Thrush, the rare and distinctive Taiwan Thrush, and Eurasian Nutcracker. Many Palearctic shorebirds winter or pass through here and we should see a good selection including both Greater and Mongolian (Siberian) sandplovers. A highlight of the 2023 tour was amazing views of two pairs of the gorgeous Fairy Pitta at their nesting area, a great sighting.

Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is still regarded by Mainland China as a renegade province, and the communists are threatening to invade, though most people here seem remarkably relaxed about it all. The country is not officially recognized by many states, which favor China instead because of its enormous political and economic influence. That said, Taiwan is a safe and friendly place to visit, with some rewarding birding and gorgeous mountain scenery. Taroko Gorge and some of the central national parks are candidates for World Heritage listing if political squabbles can be sorted out.

Tourism in Taiwan is still developing: overseas visitors are still a bit of a novelty away from the cities. The people are extremely friendly and helpful, and in the cities many understand English. The Taiwanese people have a cultural reverence for nature, with sightseeing, hiking and nature in general as important recreational interests. The Daoist temples have to be seen to be believed, they are quite beautiful and impossibly exotic, while the cuisine is excellent with a wide choice of food available, though we mainly eat in local restaurants where our guide can select what he recommends subject to our dietary needs. Join us for a spring birding tour to this beautiful and seldom-visited island!

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment
"I'd been planning to go to Taiwan for years and the stars aligned this year. I've been on tours before with Phil Gregory as guide and have always enjoyed them. This tour was no exception and my overall tour experience was excellent. I've always regarded Field Guides as a first rate operation." E.D., TAIWAN

Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
JAPAN IN SPRING