Author: The Salaryman Birder

Birding at Daan Forest Park

We’re back in Taipei for the last leg of the Taiwan trip. This time, I’m going to be birding at Daan Forest Park.

From the outside, the park looked like any other urban park. But the pond inside the park is truly a sight to behold.

There were hundreds of Black-crowned Night Herons and Eastern Cattle Egrets roosting or nesting on the trees around the pond.

The Common Moorhen can also be seen at the pond. This one was gracefully gliding it’s way across the water.

As for the rest of the park, common species typical to urban parks can be seen. For starters, a pair of Black-collared Starlings were spotted foraging on the grass. This one caught a yummy earthworm for brunch.

And then of course there is the Taiwan Barbet which had been ubiquitous throughout the trip. This one was photographed excavating the tree trunk for nesting.

Next, I saw a Grey Wagtail busy preening itself on the ground.

I have seen eBird records of the Manchurian Bush Warbler (lifer) here so I made it a point to check the bamboo groves scattered around the park. With some luck, I managed to spot one on my first try.

Finally, the last tick added to my life list is the White-bellied Green Pigeon.

And that’s a wrap for my Taiwan vacation. A total of 61 species was sighted throughout the trip with 23 new species. Unfortunately I missed out on the Taiwan Blue Magpie which I really wanted to see. That will have to wait for another trip.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317698245

Lakeside birding

For Days 5 and 6 of the Taiwan trip, we move on to Sun Moon Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan located in Nantou county.

Despite the large body of water, there aren’t many aquatic birds around. You will have more luck birding in the forests on the shore of the lake. Anyway, here are some interesting finds that I saw for the two days there.

Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (lifer) – While waiting for the public bus, I heard a faint bird call and managed to track it to this beautiful woodpecker. Unfortunately, I only got a few usable shots before it took off so all I have is this back photo.

White-rumped Sharma – Another bird that kept me entertained while waiting for the bus.

Bronzed Drongo (lifer) – I spotted a pair of them actively flying between trees to catch insects.

Black-naped Monarch (lifer) – I spotted a pair of male and female hunting for insects high up some bamboo. This one photographed is a female which has a duller plumage to the male’s all blue plumage.

Taiwan Scimitar Babbler (lifer) – Another bird that was heard first. It sounded like there was a small animal moving between dried twigs in some very thick vegetation. This was the best window that I had to photograph the bird after much searching.

eBird checklists:
1. https://ebird.org/checklist/S317426575
2. https://ebird.org/checklist/S317428245
3.https://ebird.org/checklist/S317434603

A hard fish to swallow.

Taichung Park is the oldest and most iconic urban park in Taichung dating back to the Japanese occupation era. I dropped by the park in the late morning for some casual birding before lunch.

There were a lot of Rock Pigeons at the park attracted by the parkgoers who feed them. These three Rock Pigeons of different coloration spaced out evenly on a branch looked like they were posing for a rock album cover.

The highlight of the visit was this Black-crowned Night Heron who caught a fish too large for it to swallow.

At one point, there was a small group of people gathered to watch the heron try to down it’s prized catch. “Oh oh, he’s got it” quipped the man next to me only for the fish to be regurgitated out again.

I went ahead to explore the rest of the park and came back to check on the heron again after about an hour but it was still struggling to eat the fish.

I left the park shortly after for lunch so I’m not sure if the heron did manage to finish it’s meal. I’d like to believe the persistent little bugger eventually got it down the hatch.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317416519

First order of the day

It’s Day 4 of the Taiwan trip and I’m starting the day with another quick early birding session at a nearby park. Yongquan Park is located in Taichung at the site of a former sugar factory during the Japanese occupation era.

The park is built around a large central pond with boardwalks, walkways and an observation deck surrounding the pond. It didn’t take long for me to spot something interesting: a pair of Common Moorhens foraging at the banks of the pond.

There was also an enclosure and feeding station where I saw some Muscovy Ducks and Mallards. Here’s a photo of the Muscovy Ducks going for a swim with the Common Moorhen.

Meanwhile, a Brown Shrike was perched high on a tree looking to catch some insects off the grass for breakfast.

House Swifts can also be seen constantly flying over the pond to catch flying insects.

Lastly, a nice close up of a Light-vented Bulbul resting on a handrail with decent lighting.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317412960

Side quest birding

After the early morning quick birding session, it was onward to Taichung which would serve as base camp for the next 2 days. The remainder of the day was spent on a day trip to Changhua city exploring Baguashan, home to the Great Buddha statue.

The area also hosts an annual raptor watch event to spot the Grey-faced Buzzard which migrate through the area in great numbers as they return north for the spring migration season. Unfortunately, I did not spot any that day.

Though birding was not the main objective of the day, I did spot some of the common local birds in the area like this Taiwan Barbet.

There was also a flock of Grey Treepies foraging from tree to tree.

Lastly, a Malayan Night Heron was seen chilling on a grassy patch. It still amuses me that the bird is named after Malaya (old name for Malaysia) but is not commonly found in Malaysia.

eBIrd checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317403570

No expectations.

On Day 3 of my Taiwan trip, I decided to drop by the Linsen and Kangle Park in Taipei for some quick early morning birding as it was near my hotel. These are urban parks located right smack in the middle of the city so I was not expecting much.

After about an hour, just as I was about to leave, I spotted this beautiful Eastern Yellow Wagtail (lifer) perched on a bare tree. This bird in an uncommon migrant in Singapore. After observing the bird for awhile, it took off to the ground to hunt for insects.

Always happy to add an unexpected tick to my life list.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317400909

First overseas birding of the year!

I was on vacation in Taiwan from 28 Mar to 04 Apr 2026. While the primary objective of the trip was not for birding, I did manage to squeeze out some time here and there to bird. My first stop was Guandu Nature Park, a wetland nature reserve in northern Taipei located at the confluence of the Tamsui and Keelung Rivers.

The park can be easily accessed by the Tamsui-Xinyi Metro Line (Red Line). Alight at Guandu Station and the park entrance is about 15 mins walk away.

Entering the park, I was immediately greeted by a good variety of birds in the forested area. This Taiwan Barbet (lifer) was spotted excavating a hole in the tree for nesting.

Some Black-faced Buntings (lifer) were spotted foraging along the walkway in the quiet hours of the morning before more visitors arrive.

A Common Kingfisher had a successful dive in a pond and caught a fish. Unfortunately, I did not manage to photograph it before the bird ate it’s catch.

As for the shorebirds, they congregate on the mudbanks far away from the park walkway. The best place to spot them is from the birding hides in the park – specifically the one which is double-storied which allows for a higher vantage point of the area.

I was stunned by the amount of Black-winged Stilts (lifer) here. These birds are rare migrants in Singapore.

There was also a good variety of ducks, sandpipers and snipes congregated on the mudbanks. But they were so well camouflaged that I did not even realized they were there until I got back home and uploaded my photos to a computer.

On the far end of the park, I spotted a flock of African Sacred Ibis (lifer). They are considered an invasive species – accidentally introduced into Taiwan when some captive birds escaped a zoo damaged by a typhoon in 1979.

All in all, it was a productive half day of birding adding 14 new ticks to my life list.

eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S317310382