Hualien - coast and hills.

I had a chance to revisit two good birding locations near Hualien - the city closest to unmissable Taroko Gorge. Previous observations regarding Taroko here and here.

Hualien River Mouth.
This time I spent an hour, late morning, on the northwest side (on the city side) of the river, see here for the other side. For a well rounded day’s birding, try to combine this location, with good views of sandbars, with observations from the other (southeast) side of the river mouth - and then follow #193 south for a few km.

Possible to access by car, but probably easier to explore by bicycle along on the excellent bike path. If driving or on motorcycle, from Nanbing Road (aka #193, city side of the big bridge) take Huazhong Road to the east end. 

List of what I remember: Various egrets (ignored details...); Mallard Duck (introduced); 20+ Eastern Spot-billed Duck; 20+ Kentish Plover; Common Moorhen; Skylark; White Wagtail; Plain Prinia; Yellow-bellied Prinia; Golden-headed Cisticola (heard only); Grey-tailed Tattler (distant, unsure); Black Bulbul.

Fenglin (Maple) Trail.

This (楓林步道) is probably the best forest birding site close to Hualien City, (see also Tsuochang). With only an hour available on a hot July lunchtime I was still able to get nice views of a few superb birds: Red Oriole (usually fairly reliabe here); Black-naped Monarch; White-bellied Erponis; Besra. Another very large raptor was kicking around.

Fenglin start marked on left. Hualien downtown top-right.

Other sought after birds often reported here: Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler; Taiwan Scimitar Babbler; Grey-throated Minivets; Taiwan Barbet; Grey-capped Woodpecker; Bronzed Drongo; Bamboo Partridge. In winter Grey-cheeked Fulvetta and Sibia can be present. Good for butterflies too.

Great views over the city. Technically part of the suburb of Hualian City - Ji-an. To get there is fairly easy - find and follow Fuxing Road to the end. Sporadic bilingual signs for Fenglin/Maple/Maplegrove. Google map here. A good variety of native vegetation alongside the weaving 3.5km driveable road.

As usual I stayed in our Taroko Lodge. In the grounds, or very close by, there were: Bamboo Partridge (heard only); Common Pheasant; Black Drongo; Japanese White-eyes; Hwamei (heard only); Gray Treepie; Long-tailed Shrike; Chestnut Munia; White-rumped Munia; Myna; Tree Sparrow; Taiwan (Styan’s) Bulbul; Spotted-necked Dove; Taiwan Barbet (heard only).

I found Black-spectacled Toad and Olive Frog in the nice pond on the grounds. Previously I think I’ve identified correctly Ornate Narrow-mouthed Toad, Latouche’s Frog and Chinese Tree Toad.

Dragonflies: Brachydiplax chalybea, Anax panybeus, Ceriagrion latericium, Butterflies er...another time!

Taroko Again

Good grounds, small pond, farmland everywhere.

The grounds of TaiwanEcotours new lodge in Taroko were busy with bird life on March 11th. Unfortunately, due to hyperactive hikers, I didn’t have time (maybe will next week) to do a proper accounting.

Other good places to explore near Taroko and Hualien:

The south side of Hualien River Mouth, and nearby road #193 km mark 23 - 30.

Good road leads out to point with good
views over the estuary.

Also Fenglin Forest Trail, and Liyu (Carp) Lake. More later!


New Bird:

Chestnut Munia    Lonchura atricapilla

Taroko - more than scenery

I haven’t yet been to some of the best habitats (mid to high mountains) yet but starting to make inroads on some of the best species that are to be found there.

On Wednesday and Thursday I was in Taroko Gorge guiding some nice hikers - and a TV documentary crew (also nice). Had a couple opportunities to use my binoculars. Some good birds that can be seen there (in addition to those below, I did see): Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Gray-chinned Minivet, Vivid Niltava and Plumbaceous Redstart.


Taroko Gorge, located in Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast, is one of Taiwan’s best scenic areas. Every visitor to Taiwan should go there for the scenery, hiking to suit all levels of ability - and some nice avian wildlife! The gorge that most people visit is only a small part of Taroko National Park that encompasses rugged mountain ranges over 3,000 meters high.

The hike we were doing (Jhuilu/Zhuilu aka Vertigo) was on a high hillside and cliff above the popular first 20km part of the gorge.

The best places for bird watching in Taroko Gorge:

Liwu River mouth. Access possible from Xincheng (Sincheng) Village - go north on Zhongshan Road, past the high school.
On the good paths behind the National Park visitor center. Fitter people can continue up the steep paths towards Dali. Have seen Blue Magpies here.
Shakadang Trail. Average birding, but very, very pleasant.
The road leading up to Bulowan (Leader Hotel) from the main road can be excellent in winter for higher elevation species moving down slope - such as the White-eared Sibia (pictured below).
Lyushuei-Heliou Trail. A very nice 20 minute hike that can throw up nice birds (and butterflies) at either end.
The 4-6 hour Wenshan-Lyushuei Trail can be good.
The trails from Huitouwan (163.4 km mark, 5km west of Tienxiang). Consider the longer, flater, and suspension-bridge-rich trail to Meiyuan or Jhucun, or up to the biodiverse Lotus Pond area.

A surprise bonus bird was the local sub-species of the Ring-necked Pheasant. Had great views of a flushed male from my window seat on a train speeding south of Hualien City. Bird of the trip!

I will comment on other locations (higher in the gorge, around Hualien), better for birding, in later posts.

Have an assistant in Taroko who can provide affordable accommodation and transport.

New birds seen in the lower part of Taroko Gorge:

Ring-necked Pheasant    Phasianus colchicus    Taiwan Endemic Subspecies (P. c. formosanus) (from train south of Hualien)
Gray-capped Woodpecker    Dendrocopos canicapillus
Varied Tit    Sittiparus varius    "Endemic subspecies (S. v. castaneoventris)"
Black-throated Tit    Aegithalos concinnus
Taiwan (Styan's) Bulbul    Pycnonotus taivanus    Endemic species
Formosan Whistling-Thrush    Myophonus insularis    Endemic species
White-eared (Taiwan) Sibia    Heterophasia auricularis    Endemic species
Jungle Myna    Acridotheres fuscus (at train station northern Taidung County)