While not a serious bird watcher, I’ve been fortunate to witness a number of Taiwan’s endemic and migratory birds. When I applied for my Fulbright project, I knew Taiwan was a mecca for live birds as well as bird art, and Guandu especially was a prime location. On my university campus I found Cattle Egrets frequenting the fields and even the ubiquitous motorbikes. I saw a Malaysian NIght Heron swallowing a large worm in the woods behind a cafe. And in the trees outside the third-floor guesthouse laundry room, I watched every morning to see who made all the bird calls. One day I was excited to see a native Taiwan Barbet, or “five-color-bird” (wu si niao), a small bright-green bird with dashes of turquoise, yellow, and red on its face. Another day at the Guandu Nature Park, I was amazed to spot a tiny Kingfisher jumping out of a pond to sit on a reed. This is the same bird whose iridescent blue-green feathers were used in Imperial China to make inlaid jewelry; you can find amazing examples in the National Palace Museum. And on Christmas morning, my wish was granted to see the famous Taiwan Blue Magpie, whose deep blue plumage and long striped tail have made it the national bird. I did not see the endangered birds of Taiwan—which is all the more reason to bring them into my sculpture mission.

Cattle Egret standing atop student motorbike behind related sculpture

Malaysian NIght Heron foraging in the brush

Taiwan Barbet, called “five-color-bird” in Mandarin (photo by Amar-Singh)

Tiny Kingfisher in Taipei (photo by Joey Chiu)

Turquoise Kingfisher feathers used in Imperial Chinese jewelry, National Palace Museum

Taiwan Blue Magpie with elegant tail, as seen on a stamp