NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Taiwan Hwamei
Garrulax taewanus Swinhoe, 1859
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Taiwan hwamei (Garrulax taewanus) 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 (Garrulax canorus) 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. It is about 24 centimetres long. It is mainly grey brown with heavy streaks on the crown, nape and back and fine streaks on much of the underparts. It lacks the white eye-markings of the Chinese hwamei which is also more rufous in colour and less heavily streaked. The whistling song is long, melodious and varied. It inhabits secondary woodland in the foothills and lower mountains up to 1,200 metres above sea level. It forages alone, in pairs or in small groups, searching amongst the understorey for insects and seeds. It has a declining population of 1,000–10,000 individuals and is classified as a near threatened species by BirdLife International.
Wikipedia contributors, Taiwan hwamei; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:30:55.559371+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Garrulax taewanus Swinhoe, 1859
- Name authority
- Swinhoe, 1859
- Common name
- Taiwan Hwamei
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Leiothrichidae
- Genus
- Garrulax
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyLeiothrichidae Swainson, 1832
- genusGarrulax R. P. Lesson, 1831
- speciesGarrulax taewanus Swinhoe, 1859
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Garrulax. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Sumatran LaughingthrushGarrulax bicolor Hartlaub, 1844 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rufous-cheeked LaughingthrushGarrulax castanotis (Ogilvie-Grant, 1899) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cambodian LaughingthrushGarrulax ferrarius Riley, 1930 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-crested LaughingthrushGarrulax leucolophus (Hardwicke, 1816) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grey LaughingthrushGarrulax maesi (Oustalet, 1890) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sunda LaughingthrushGarrulax palliatus (Bonaparte, 1850) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-necked LaughingthrushGarrulax strepitans Blyth, 1855 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Rufous-fronted LaughingthrushGarrulax rufifrons R. P. Lesson, 1831 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Spot-breasted LaughingthrushGarrulax merulinus Blyth, 1851 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Orange-breasted LaughingthrushGarrulax annamensis (Robinson & Kloss, 1919) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chinese HwameiGarrulax canorus (Linnaeus, 1758) | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-hooded LaughingthrushGarrulax milleti Robinson & Kloss, 1919 | LeiothrichidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Garrulax canorus taewanus Swinhoe, 1859 Swinhoe, 1859 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Swinhoe, & Robert. (1859). Notes on Some New Species of Birds Found on the Island of Formosa. Journal of the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 1, No. 2. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3FBS4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.