The Taiwan hwamei 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 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.
Region
East Asia
Typical Environment
Endemic to Taiwan, it occupies lowland to foothill forests, forest edges, and dense secondary growth. It is commonly found in thickets, bamboo stands, and scrubby ravines, and readily uses overgrown plantations and rural hedgerows. The species tolerates lightly disturbed habitats and may occur in larger parks and wooded gardens near foothills. It typically keeps to dense understory where it forages close to the ground.
Altitude Range
0–1600 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Taiwan hwamei is an endemic babbler whose name refers to its distinctive ‘painted eyebrow,’ which in this species appears as a clean white eye-ring. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the Chinese hwamei but is now recognized as a separate species, likely diverging about 1.5 million years ago. Its rich, melodious song has made it popular in the cage-bird trade, which has influenced local populations in the past.
Temperament
skulking and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, darting flights through cover
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, sometimes in small family groups after breeding. Pairs maintain territories in dense understory and communicate with soft calls. Nesting is in low shrubs or dense vegetation; a cup-shaped nest holds a small clutch that both parents tend. They are generally monogamous within a breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, fluting, and melodious song with clear whistled phrases and varied trills. Males sing from concealed perches within dense cover, often at dawn, and can sustain lengthy bouts of complex improvisation.
Plumage
Warm rufous-brown overall with finer streaking on the crown and mantle, and slightly paler, buff-washed underparts. Feathers appear soft and sleek, with subtle mottling on the flanks.
Diet
Omnivorous, feeding primarily on insects and other small invertebrates gleaned from leaf litter and low vegetation. It also takes berries, small fruits, and occasional seeds, especially outside the breeding season. Foraging is mostly on or near the ground, probing among fallen leaves and at the bases of shrubs. Opportunistic feeding on arthropods increases during chick-rearing.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory of secondary forest, thickets, bamboo, and overgrown field margins. It frequently uses ecotones such as forest edges and streamside scrub, and may enter plantations with sufficient ground cover.
