The Taiwan cupwing, also known as Taiwan wren-babbler, is a species of passerine bird in the family Pnoepygidae. The species is endemic to the island of Taiwan. It was treated for a long time as a subspecies of the scaly-breasted cupwing.
Region
Central Mountain Range, Taiwan
Typical Environment
Occurs in dense understory of montane evergreen and mixed broadleaf forests, often along shaded stream gullies and mossy slopes. Favors thickets of bamboo, ferns, and rhododendron where ground cover is lush. Frequently forages among leaf litter, roots, and rock crevices on steep ravines. It tolerates secondary growth if understory remains dense and moist.
Altitude Range
800–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the Taiwan wren-babbler, this tiny, nearly tailless skulker lives close to the forest floor and is easy to hear but hard to see. Its song is a series of high, bell-like notes that can sound ventriloquial in steep ravines. It was long treated as a subspecies of the scaly-breasted cupwing before being recognized as a distinct species restricted to Taiwan.
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short, low flights with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically solitary or in pairs, maintaining small territories along ravines and dense thickets. Nests are usually domed structures placed low to the ground or in banks, well hidden among roots or vegetation. Both parents participate in care of the young during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a series of high-pitched, clear, bell-like notes or trills delivered from concealed perches near the ground. Calls are thin, high, and can be hard to localize in echoing mountain terrain.
Plumage
Compact, finely scaled underparts with brown to olive-brown upperparts; dense, subtle barring and scalloping give a scaly look. Tail is extremely short, appearing almost absent.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small insects, spiders, and other arthropods gleaned from leaf litter, moss, and bark. Probes into crevices around rocks, roots, and logs to extract hidden prey. Occasionally takes small larvae and soft-bodied invertebrates near streams.
Preferred Environment
Forages on the shaded forest floor, along stream edges, and among dense fern and bamboo undergrowth. Often works methodically through mossy boulders and root tangles on steep ravines.
