Birds of Taiwan
with Optisan Optics
During the 2025 World Bird Fair, we were invited by Optisan Optics to go birding across the mountains of Taiwan! 歐帝生光電 - Optisan Sports Optics Nature is the official optical partner of Bird Finder Philippines and Haring Ibon, and this expedition allowed us to meet our many international partners and brand ambassadors from the Philippines (Wild Bird Club of the Philippines), Indonesia (Birding Indonesia), Malaysia (Sabah Birdwatchers Association), and Bhutan (Langur Eco Travels - Bhutan) all led by Chuck Kuan-Chieh Hung Taiwan Bird Guide
Taiwan, although an incredibly close neighbor of the Philippines, has much more in common with mainland Asia in terms of its birds. There are around 30 endemic species with a whole lot more endemic subspecies due to its geographic isolation and formation!
Despite birding for only 2 days, we recorded around 75 species by the end of our trip! I think everyone has the stunning Mikado Pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado) as their favorite bird of the trip, with it being a joy to watch! This post has some of my favorite bird photographs from the trip, including gorgeous close-ups of the two endemic Titmice, the adorable Taiwan Yuhina, and flight shots of Martins and Drongos!
Thank you to Optisan Optics and Taiwan Bird Guide for making this trip fun and successful! Love the local food and all the fun jokes and banter along the way.
