At first glance, Yangmingshan is no different to other mountains . It is tall and there are forests, boars and monkeys on the mountain. If you are a researcher however, you will soon discover that the ecology of Yangmingshan is quite different from that of all other mountains in Taiwan because of its volcanic geology and geographical location. In terms of the major ecosystem, geological conditions decide the plant ecology. Then, the plant diversity and maturity also determine the fauna in the area. It is the same with birds on Yangmingshan. Though the height of Yangmingshan is similar to most low-elevation mountains, the birds we see in the area are quite different because the natural condition of the mountain is different.
It is recorded that there are over 150 types of birds found in Yangmingshan National Park. You are sure to doubt these figures if you have gone bird-watching here. It is not easy to see more than 30 types for the following reasons. First, there are not many native birds in the area. These figures are the results of investigations over the years. Moreover, most of the birds on the list are winter migratory birds, and many of them merely transit over the area. Therefore, you may need to camp there for a long time in order to really see these transient passers-by. Second, unlike Wulai, Hsitou and Alishan which are connected to the Snow Mountain Range and the Jade Mountain Massif, Yangmingshan is by itself a semi-independent mountain system. As the ecological conditions in different mountain systems are different, the fauna in these mountain systems is different. Moreover, mountain systems with near other mountain allow animals to exchange and replenish regularly. Therefore, bird-watching spots in areas with near other mountain will doubtlessly have relatively richer bird resources. In the case of Yangmingshan, it is sandwiched by water (Tamsui River in the west and the East China Sea in the north), bordering the highly populated Taipei Basin in the south, and the only outlet is the Wujhih Mountain System in the east. However, Wujhih Mountain is neither the Snow Mountain Range nor the Jade Mountain Massif which contain a large amount of species. Therefore, the poverty of bird resources on the Yangmingshan is an act of God.
You may complain that there is nothing to see on Yangmingshan at this point. In fact, it ain’t necessary so. This may be one of the places in Taiwan where you can see the Taiwan blue magpie and the Formosan whistling-thrush most easily. These two Taiwan-unique species can be seen at the Datun Nature Park and Yangmingshuwu with a little bit of patience in particular months. Please do not belittle these birds, they are the must-see birds of many foreign bird-watching groups. If you are an experienced bird-watcher, you will discover that while other species found on Yangmingshan are also seen in rural Taipei, these two species are not. True! This is an act of God and the result of Taipei Basin development. As the tallest mountain of the Yangmingshan System, Cising Mountain is only 1,120m tall, and broadleaved secondary (growth) forest is the dominant flora in the area mixing up with a large amount of development. From the viewpoint of bird ecology, birds suitable for living in low-elevation secondary forest and suitably open environments are the dominant species. Therefore, in addition to Japanese white-eyes, the Chinese bulbul and the little egret in the open environment, you can find the Muller's barbet, the grey-cheeked fulvetta etc which prefer living in thick forest. During the mating period in spring, you can often hear the brilliant cry of the crested serpent eagle and the crested goshawk. If you are a new bird-watcher, Yangmingshan will surprise you.
Not just on Yangmingshan, if you want to see birds, you must keep the following principles in mind: first, you must get up really early; birds have a quick metabolism, they are starving to death after sleeping for the whole night. When it is bright enough in the morning, most birds cannot wait to stretch their wings and look for food everywhere, except for diurnal raptor birds. In this case, we must get up earlier than them in order to watch them flying and hear them singing. Birds which are early to rise will have insects. If we want to see them, we must get up early. However, if diurnal raptors (eagle) are your target, you may take a small nap and wait till after 9:00am. Rising currents become vigorous as a result of sunshine before reaching the mountain. Eagles are really smart. They will wait until the air current becomes vigorous before rising with the thermal currents without using much energy. If you want to see as many birds as possible on Yangmingshan, the Datun Nature Park will be an ideal spot. It is a leeward slope which is less likely to be affected by the Yangmingshan-unique monsoon system. Furthermore, the bird situation in the park is quite stable, the Taiwan blue magpie in particular. You can see them almost every spring and summer. If you have time to stay, you can see over 20 species there. If you are planning a bird-watching trip on Yangmingshan, a one-day trip will be enough because it is so close to Taipei City. Bird-watching is only a hobby, and we don’t need to spend money finding a hotel on the mountain. If a one-day trip is not enough, you can come up again the next morning. Yangmingshan is not that high, so the species you can see there is more or less the same as in other places. Lastly, if you still want to see more in another spot other than the Datun Nature Park, an interior area surrounded by forests (e.g. the Jhuzihhu) will seldom disappoint you. That’s it!
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