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Here’s a few lists you might want to follow to compose your Taiwan (endemics) list after a birding trip to this fantastic island, with notes.
15 endemics –Clements 6th (Conservative)
Should I? Note that advanced splitting still is a fairly recent inclination with taxonomic research leaping behind, which makes that many a split would not stand under strict scientific scrutiny. That said it might still make sense to follow this list as it’s been accepted and used for ages while forced splitting (see last list) is with us just a couple of years now. However, it is to be expected that Clements-Cornell will soon accept any number of the recent splits. Please also read the italic text on this matter below.
Taiwan Partridge
Swinhoe’s Pheasant
Mikado Pheasant
Taiwan Blue Magpie
Yellow Tit
Styan’s Bulbul
Taiwan Bush Warbler
White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Steere’s Liocichla
Taiwan Barwing
White-eared Sibia
Taiwan Yuhina
Flamecrest
Taiwan Whistling Thrush
Collared Bush Robin
22 endemics –IOC World Bird List (Progressive)
Should I? While essentially started as a ‘Recommended English names’ World List (The book), they have now more or less tucked into taxonomy too. (See the website) They do not present area checklists, but they’re found on the Avibase website. Although a very useful work, I’m not sure how accurate the Avibase lists are as for today but I’ve noted many still needed some updating just a short while ago. While it might not be completely sensible to follow the IOC-through Avibase lists for composing your world list, it might well be a good idea to adopt this as for your Taiwan endemics as I assume the IOC World Bird List guys have done efforts to keep splits sensible. The work on this list seems to be quite up to date too, which cannot always be said from other lists and certainly not from the widely used Clements checklist after Cornell failed to do a single update for Asia in their latest. (Oh, they did Siberian Stonechat) Even these updates aren’t exactly up to date today as we got the latest way back in November 2008.
At least IOC tried to get the bird names standardized and this is actually the main reason for me to include this list. Please compare names with Brazil’s below and the 34 endemics list where I have included all (commonly) used alternative English names. Don’t get lost!
Taiwan Partridge
Swinhoe’s Pheasant
Mikado Pheasant
Taiwan Barbet
Taiwan Blue Magpie
Yellow Tit
Styan’s Bulbul
Taiwan Bush Warbler
Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler
Taiwan Scimitar Babbler
Taiwan Wren-Babbler
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush
Taiwan Hwamei
White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Steere’s Liocichla
Taiwan Barwing
Taiwan Fulvetta
White-eared Sibia
Taiwan Yuhina
Flamecrest
Taiwan Whistling Thrush
Collared Bush Robin
24 endemics –Mark Brazil’s Birds of East Asia (Progressive)
Should I? Well, this is the new field guide you’re most likely going to use for your visit to Taiwan and this way it does make sense to follow the taxonomy used for the book. Names in the list below are those used in the book.
Please take a few seconds to read the following text derived from the book’s introduction taxonomy chapter.
“While the region’s avifauna urgently requires rigorous taxonomic research using the latest techniques, this book is not the place for such work, and currently there is much that is contentious and contradictory regarding the status of various taxa. Taxonomic changes are continuously altering the playing field and it is difficult to reach agreement over which taxa are accepted at the specific or subspecific levels at a given time; no doubt changes will occur even as the book goes to press. I make no pretensions to be an authority on taxonomy.”
Taiwan Hill Partridge
Swinhoe’s Pheasant
Mikado Pheasant
Taiwan Barbet
Taiwan Blue Magpie
Yellow Tit
Taiwan Bulbul
Taiwan Bush Warbler
Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler
Taiwan Scimitar Babbler
Taiwan Wren-Babbler
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush
Rusty Laughingthrush
Taiwan Hwamei
White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Steere’s Liocichla
Taiwan Barwing
Taiwan Fulvetta
Taiwan Sibia
Taiwan Yuhina
Flamecrest
Taiwan Whistling Thrush
Taiwan Shortwing
Johnston’s Robin
34 endemics –Follow the most split-able author (Hot)
Should I? If you’re into getting big lists, yes. It seems to be something of a new trend nowadays to split as many you can and why not, it’s your choice how you want to play the game and your very right to do as you like. I would like to suggest however for people to refrain from publishing one’s own preferences in matters that might better be left with taxonomic research and authorities, and this includes trip report lists… Some of those lists are really provocative and pushing people into certain ways of listing/taxonomy.
In addition, other than personal preferences there might be another reason good for accepting splits without proper taxonomic research having taken place. (See italic text above)
And this reason is quite surprisingly not an unimportant one, -conservation-, for the simple reason that if subspecies do become species, interest in conservation for the new species is likely to soar.
Alternative names between brackets, splits info between squares.
Taiwan Partridge (Taiwan Hill Partridge, Formosan Hill Partridge, Swinhoe’s Partridge…)
Taiwan Bamboo Partridge [from Chinese Bamboo Partridge]
Swinhoe’s Pheasant (Taiwan Blue Pheasant, Formosan Blue Pheasant, Formosan Pheasant)
Mikado Pheasant (Taiwan Long-tailed Pheasant)
Lanyu Scops Owl [from Elegant Scops Owl (Ryukyu Scops Owl)]
Taiwan Barbet (Mueller’s Barbet) [from Black-browed Barbet]
Taiwan Blue Magpie (Formosan Magpie)
Yellow Tit (TaiwanTit, Taiwan Yellow Tit, Formosan Forty Tit)
Taiwan Varied Tit [from Varied Tit]
Styan’s Bulbul (Taiwan Bulbul)
Taiwan Bush Warbler [from Russet Bush Warbler] (Alishan Bush Warbler)
Strong-footed Bush Warbler [from Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler (Brown-flanked Bush Warbler)]
Taiwan Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler [from Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler (Yellow-bellied Bush Warbler)]
Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler [from Spot-breasted Scimitar Babbler]
Taiwan Scimitar Babbler [from Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler]
Taiwan Wren Babbler (Formosan Wren Babbler) [from Pygmy Wren Babbler]
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush (Rufous-capped LT) [from White-throated LT]
Rusty Laughtingthrush [from Rusty LT (includes Buffy) –from Grey-sided LT]
Taiwan Hwamei (Taiwan Laughingthrush, Melodious Laughingthrush) [from Hwamei]
White-whiskered Laughingthrush (Taiwan Laughingthrush!)
Steere’s Liocichla
Taiwan Barwing (Formosan Barwing)
Taiwan Fulvetta [from Streak-throated Fulvetta]
White-eared Sibia (Taiwan Sibia)
Taiwan Yuhina (Formosan Yuhina)
Taiwan Parrotbill [from Golden Parrotbill]
Flamecrest (Taiwan Firecrest)
Taiwan Whistling Thrush (Formosan Whistling Thrush)
Taiwan Thrush [from Island Thrush]
Taiwan Shortwing [from White-browed Shortwing]
Taiwan Robin (Taiwan Bush Robin)(Sombre Bush Robin) [from White-browed Robin]
Collared Bush Robin (Johnstone’s Robin)
Taiwan Niltava [from Vivid Niltava]
Owston’s Bullfinch (Taiwan Bullfinch) [from Grey-headed (Beavan’s) Bullfinch]
Summary;
How many endemic birds has Taiwan? A seemingly simple question that has no answer to it!
More precisely, a question that has lost it’s answer as just 10 years ago any birder been on or with plans to visit Taiwan would quickly been able to reply 14, which became 15 in 2000 with Taiwan Bush Warbler to add.
Taxonomists are certainly doing a great job increasing our understanding of taxonomy and trying hard to figure which taxa might warrant species status or not. Most of them however work quite locally using different research techniques and publish in various papers. While all people involved in taxonomy, -researchers, publishers, birders contributing…-, certainly mean the very best, it just seems that we’re missing any consistency. And we’re missing a single powerful, worldwide taxonomic/nomenclature authority that all the previously mentioned people could work together with. And, not unimportant, who could take on the task to keep an eye on what taxonomists publish as nowadays the rule seems to be ; published = accepted. Quite a few authorities probably would like to step up but it seems all are failing for now and working next to each other rather than together. This shows in the last of my endemics lists and by the fact that a brand new and essential field guide shows a different number of endemics than any of the world authorities on taxonomy, in addition to a number of newly inaugurated bird names.
Are we ready to split all these species? Is our knowledge ready for this? Aren’t things going too fast? Where will it lead? Are you able still to follow up?
Or;
Do you prefer an up to date world-list rather than one where everything needs prove first? Do you like to keep up with exciting taxonomic changes? Read about them and update your world-list accordingly? Keep up with the numbers when posting your lists on Surfbirds?
If one thing has become clear for myself in all those years birding in Asia, it must be how extremely little that is actually known about the distribution and movements of birds, which is essential knowledge in taxonomy. So…, I don’t know about all the recent changes. You might?
While all these changes might be ok for researchers, keen birders, anyone professionally involved in birding, conservationists or birders simply keeping to 1 country or region,… I am very sure most of the birding community is struggling to keep up. Birdwatching is a fantastic hobby, but if beginners that want to take into listing a bit more serious, have to get lost in stuff like my last endemics list, not to say the entire Taiwan list or a world list, it might not be much fun anymore… Consistency in listing can be extremely valuable for many birders. As for the above lists this is only shown in Clements, unfortunately a list with numerous shortcomings in recent years, especially for Asia (and Africa).
Note;
This article written for your information and to help you guide your way into birding Taiwan, with some comments likely to be useful for birding anywhere in Asia or even worldwide.
It is not my intention to push people into certain directions where it comes to taxonomy, nomenclature or listing, neither would I want to start any endless discussion on taxonomy or whatever else that might be related to this article. I have only tried to paint the picture here, as it appears to show at this moment regarding these matters.
However, if you do believe I have put any erroneous data, you are most welcome to contact me.
Any taxonomist/researcher/authority who might feel addressed should note this article to be about ‘birding’ and how we get along with it. I hope to have posted facts here, rather than criticism.
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