Myophonus insularis
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The Taiwan whistling thrush (Myophonus insularis), also known as the Formosan whistling thrush, is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Taiwan. The Taiwan whistling thrush was collected by Robert Swinhoe and described as Myiophoneus insularis by John Gould in 1862. Swinhoe called it the "Formosan cavern-bird" because it inhabits the dark, forested ravines in the mountains. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Malabar whistling thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii). The species is monotypic.
This thrush is endemic to Taiwan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is found at elevations of up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft). Its length is 28 to 30 cm (11 to 12 in). The wings are 15 to 16 cm (5.9 to 6.3 in) long. It is mostly blackish-blue. Some feathers are navy blue or metallic blue. Some underwing coverts have white bases. The underparts are blackish. Its neck, breast and flanks are scaled. Its eyes are deep red, and its lores, bill and legs are black. The two sexes are alike. The juvenile is dull blackish, with a bluish tinge. The gape of the juvenile is yellowish.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taipei | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Formosan Whistling-Thrush sighting in Taroko National Park on a given day, based on 661 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 147 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Formosan Whistling-Thrush in Taroko National Park on a given day, against about 20% in February, July and October, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Formosan Whistling-Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Only Taroko National Park, in our data
Taroko National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Formosan Whistling-Thrush sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Formosan Whistling-Thrush that you can see in Taroko National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Collared Bush-Robin (about 40%), Plumbeous Water Redstart (about 30%) and Vivid Niltava (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Formosan Whistling-Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Taroko National Park (661 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
