Taiwan Hwamei
Garrulax taewanus
Silhouette: Jiekun He · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyLeiothrichidae (Laughingthrushes and Allies)
- GenusGarrulax (Typical Laughingthrushes)
- SpeciesGarrulax taewanus (Taiwan Hwamei)
About the Taiwan Hwamei
The Taiwan hwamei (Garrulax taewanus) is a passerine bird in the family Leiothrichidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1859. It is endemic to the island of Taiwan. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Chinese hwamei (Garrulax canorus) but has since been split as a separate species. It is estimated to have diverged from the Chinese hwamei about 1.5 million years ago.
It is about 24 centimetres long. It is mainly grey brown with heavy streaks on the crown, nape and back and fine streaks on much of the underparts. It lacks the white eye-markings of the Chinese hwamei which is also more rufous in colour and less heavily streaked. The whistling song is long, melodious and varied.
It inhabits secondary woodland in the foothills and lower mountains up to 1,200 metres above sea level. It forages alone, in pairs or in small groups, searching amongst the understorey for insects and seeds. It has a declining population of 1,000–10,000 individuals and is classified as a near threatened species by BirdLife International. Habitat loss may affect its numbers but the main threat is hybridization with introduced populations of the Chinese hwamei. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Taiwan Hwamei in Taroko National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Taroko National Park
Chinese Hwamei
Garrulax canorus
Rusty Laughingthrush
Garrulax poecilorhynchus
Black-throated Laughingthrush
Garrulax chinensis
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush
Garrulax ruficeps
White-eared Sibia
Heterophasia auricularis
Steere's Liocichla
Liocichla steerii
White-whiskered Laughingthrush
Trochalopteron morrisonianum
Taiwan Barwing
Actinodura morrisoniana
Large-billed Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Taiwan Yuhina
Yuhina brunneiceps
Green-backed Tit
Parus monticolus
Asian House Martin
Delichon dasypus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Taiwan Hwamei in Taroko National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwan Hwamei sighting in Taroko National Park, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Taiwan Hwamei in Taroko National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Taiwan Hwamei in Taroko National Park in our monthly data.