Rich ecology and beautiful environment: 5 popular bird-watching spots across Taiwan

▲ The Taiwan rosefinch is also known as the vinaceous rosefinch. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)

Text and photos by*Taiwan Classic Bird-Watching Routes: Go Bird-Watching Now!* — A Practical Guide to Bird Observation and Photography
Authors: Hsing Cheng-kang, Fan Kuo-huang / Photography assistance: Chuang Chih-chou
Publisher: Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives

Guandu Nature Reserve — A Top Bird-Watching Spot in Northern Taiwan

Located at the confluence of the Tamsui and Keelung Rivers in Taipei, this area boasts abundant natural scenery and diverse wildlife, making it one of the few wetlands within the city. The dense growth of seashore paspalum, reeds, and mangroves, along with the soft muddy ground, makes it an ideal habitat for many waterbirds.

In 2013 and 2014, over 100 bird species were recorded here annually, making it a critically important birding site in northern Taiwan, as well as one of the key bird habitats designated by BirdLife International in Taiwan.

The black-winged stilt, a common winter migrant here, feeds on aquatic animals such as tadpoles, small fish, aquatic insects, and their larvae. It forages during early morning, dusk, or low tide, walking gracefully and often chasing small fish in ponds where the water reaches its joints, or sweeping its beak side to side through the water to catch prey. When alarmed, it bobs its head up and down, and when taking flight, it often calls out. A small number of these birds remain in Taiwan year-round.

▲ Photo taken at Guandu Nature Reserve. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)

Xiakelo National Trail — A Burst of Colorful Mountain Scenery

The Xiakelo National Trail stretches 23 kilometers and is a well-known, beginner-friendly hiking route. Once past the landslide-prone sections, the trail is gentle and easy to walk, making it popular among the general public. It’s home to a variety of wild birds such as the Mikado pheasant, white-eared sibia, and yellow-throated fulvetta, as well as numerous wildlife species and rich plant life.


▲ Xiakelo National Trail. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)

Liyutan Reservoir — Scenic Beauty Surrounded by Mountains

Surrounded by mountains, Liyutan Reservoir offers breathtaking scenery. Thanks to its well-preserved environment, the area boasts rich natural ecosystems with abundant fish and shrimp, natural broadleaf forests and secondary forests, and a wide variety of wildlife, including many resident birds. Here, you can find common riverside and wetland birds such as kingfishers, plumbeous water redstarts, purple swamphens, and grey herons, as well as mountain birds often seen in forested areas, like the Chinese bulbul, Japanese white-eye, and Taiwan yuhina.

▲ Liyutan Reservoir. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)

Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area — Bird-Watching Amid Towering Trees

The Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area features Taiwan’s most extensive and well-preserved high-mountain broadleaf and conifer forests, spanning elevations from 400–500 meters up to 2,600 meters. The area includes warm temperate broadleaf forests, Taiwan hemlock forests, and Hinoki cypress forests.

Over the years, at least 94 bird species across 30 families have been recorded here, including 15 endemic species such as the Mikado pheasant and the Swinhoe’s pheasant, as well as at least 44 endemic subspecies. Bird photographers often set up cameras at the 23km mark to capture the Mikado pheasant, and at the 47km mark in hopes of spotting the Swinhoe’s pheasant.

▲ Photo taken at Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)
Taipingshan — Bird-Watching in Pristine Primeval Forests
Taipingshan in Yilan is a highly popular high-mountain forest recreation area. Once one of Taiwan’s three major logging districts, its well-preserved forests offer an excellent natural habitat, making it an ideal place to observe mid- to high-altitude mountain birds. The bird population here remains stable throughout the year, though mornings are the best time for bird-watching due to frequent mountain fog.

Taipingshan’s rich ecosystem is a delight for nature lovers, with a wide variety of wildlife. In addition to resident and migratory birds, lucky visitors may spot rare Taiwanese endemics such as the Mikado pheasant, Swinhoe’s pheasant, and the Taiwan woodpecker. Beyond birds, the area is also home to many protected mammals and insects, such as the broad-tailed swallowtail, green dragontail, and eight-spotted tiger beetle. Visiting without binoculars or a bird- and butterfly-watching guidebook would be a missed opportunity.


▲ Snowy scenery of Taipingshan. (Photo / Sikuaiyu Cultural Creatives)