Tour Information

We will try to visit the best birding sites you are not able to visit by public transportation by yourself from the cities you started in one day. Here we listed the itineraries in three main cities (Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung) and two International harbors (Keelung and Kaonsiung)  in Taiwan. We can arrange any one day itinerary in any cities in Taiwan. The price would depends on the vehicle we use.

1 Day Taipei City/Keelung Harbor Tour (click for detail)

Taipei is the capital of Taiwan and home to most of the country’s birdwatchers. With the assistance of a professional bird guide, we can maximize the number of bird species you’ll see in a short period of time. If luck is on your side, you’ll also have excellent photo opportunities. We tailor the tour to meet your needs, taking you to less accessible locations such as the Xindian and Wulai foothill area to find low-altitude resident birds, or to Yangmingshan to look for Taiwan Blue Magpie. During the migration or wintering seasons, we can also visit the northern coast to find migratory or wintering birds.

Itinerary

The itinerary will be adjusted according to the season and your specific needs. Here is an example for seeing the breeding endemic birds in foothill areas:

Target Endemic Bird Species: 

• Common: Taiwan Barbet, Taiwan Blue Magpie, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Morrison’s Fulvetta, Taiwan Whistling Thrush
• Rare: Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Taiwan Bamboo Partridge, Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-bellied Tit (winter), White-eared Sibia (winter), Taiwan Yuhina (winter)
• Specieal Birds: Malayan Night Heron

1 Day Taichung City/Dasyueshan Tour (click for detail)

Dasyueshan (Daxueshan) is the best birdwatching destination in Taiwan, where you can spot nearly all of the island’s 32 endemic bird species, except for the Styan’s Bulbul which has not been recorded here. Birdwatching in Dasyueshan is incredibly accessible; starting from the Dongshi district in Taichung, we drive up the mountain along the Dasyueshan Forest Road, covering a 50-kilometer stretch that takes us from an elevation of 400 meters to 2600 meters. This journey spans a range of climates from subtropical to alpine, allowing us to see a diverse array of endemic species in a short period. Whether you have just a day or up to two weeks, a visit to Dasyueshan is highly recommended. In a 12-hour timeframe, you can expect to observe around 12-15 endemic species. With an overnight stay, you can discover even more. Even for tours lasting two weeks, 2-3 days are typically allocated to explore this rich habitat. 

The key bird species to look out for in Dasyueshan include endemic pheasants such as Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Mikado Pheasant (rare), and Taiwan Partridge (rare). Additionally, there are two endemic species of the laughingthrush (family Leiothrichidae) which are easy here: the Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush and the Rusty Laughingthrush, with the RCL being almost exclusively easy to spot in Dasyueshan. The elusive and rare Taiwan Thrush is also more likely to be seen here during the winter months. Also, the stunning Taiwan Yellow Tit can be observed year-round. Other commonly seen beautiful endemics like Morrison’s Fulvetta, White-eared Sibia, Taiwan Yuhina, and White-whiskered Laughingthrush are also hard to miss here.

Itinerary

The itinerary will be adjusted according to the season and your specific needs. Here is an example for seeing the breeding endemic birds in Dasyueshan in 12 hours.

Notes: 

• We strongly recommend arriving in Taichung a day in advance on your own.
• We can drop you off at the Taichung HSR station at 18:00.

Target Endemic Bird Species:

• Common: Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Taiwan Barbet, Taiwan Yuhina, Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler, Morrison’s Fulvetta, White-whiskered Laughingthrush, White-eared Sibia, Steere’s Liocichla, Collared Bush-Robin, Taiwan Vivid Niltava
• Uncommon: Taiwan Partridge, Mikado Pheasant, Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge, Taiwan Yellow Tit, Taiwan Bush Warbler (summer), Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Rusty Laughingthrush, Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler, Taiwan Cupwing, Taiwan Fulvetta, Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Hwamei, Flamecrest, Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, Taiwan Bullfinch

Tainan City(click for detail)

Tainan is Taiwan’s ancient capital, boasting numerous well-preserved wetlands ideal for birdwatching from August to May of the following year. The coastal area is also part of the Taijiang National Park. However, Tainan is relatively far from mountainous regions, with the highest peak reaching only 1,241 meters. This limits birdwatching to low-altitude species in the hilly areas. In the Anping District of the city, there is a unique species introduced to Taiwan, the Azure-winged Magpie. You can keep an eye on it while exploring the historical sites in Anping on your own.

Itinerary

The itinerary will be adjusted according to the season and your specific needs. Here is an example for seeing the breeding endemic birds in foothill areas  in the morning and going to the coastal area in the afternoon to see the Black-faced Spoonbill and other waterbirds.

Target Bird Species:

• Endemic Species: Taiwan Barbet, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Morrison’s Fulvetta, Taiwan Bamboo Partridge (rare), Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler (rare), Taiwan Vivid Niltava (winter & rare)
• Waterbirds: Black-faced Spoonbill (winter), Nordmann’s Greenshank (Nov-Jan), Saunder’s Gull (Dec-Jan), Oriental Pratincole (Apr-Aug), Cinnamon Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Pheasant-tailed Jacana (breeding plumage Apr-Aug), Greater Painted-snipe, Pied Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Long-toed Stint, Kentish Plover

Kaohsiung City/Kaohsiung Harbor (click for detail)

Kaohsiung is the only city in Taiwan with both an international airport and a seaport. Shoushan National Nature Park, located within the city, is easily accessible by public transportation. In contrast, getting to the mountainous Yushan National Park is less convenient. The nearby Meinong area offers good low-altitude forests for nature exploration, and the coastal areas also provide wetlands suitable for waterfowl observation.

Itinerary

The itinerary will be adjusted according to the season and your specific needs. Here is an example for seeing the breeding endemic birds in Shoushan NNP in the morning and going to the coastal area in the afternoon to see the Black-faced Spoonbill and other waterbirds.

Target Bird Species:

• Endemic Birds: Taiwan Barbet, Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Morrison’s Fulvetta, Taiwan Hawmei, Taiwan Bamboo Partridge (rare), Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler (rare)
• Key Landbirds: Malayan Night Heron, Lesser Coucal, Asian Emerald Dove, Siberian Rubythroat (winter), Daurian Redstart (winter), Pale Thrush (winter), Brown-headed Thrush (winter)
• Key Waterbirds: Black-faced Spoonbill (winter), Oriental Pratincole (Apr-Aug), Cinnamon Bittern, Yellow Bittern, Pheasant-tailed Jacana (breeding plumage Apr-Aug),
  Greater Painted-snipe, Kentish Plover

Price and Service

Notes

• Included in this quote: lunch, transportation, parking fees, guide fees, admission tickets, local travel insurance..etc
• Not included in this quote: breakfast, beverages such as beer and coffee.
• Payment can be made in advance via bank transfer, credit card, or in cash on-site.
• We accept cash payments in either the New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) at the current selling rate of Taiwan Bank or in the U.S. Dollars (USD) using only the latest version of the notes.

Book the Tour 

Please email us with your: 1) Group size 2) Desired date or range & 3) Destination