Snow Birds

The litter left by tourists defiles this 3000 meter tall mountain. Butthe Formosan laughing thrush, which used to leave for warmer lower climes as winter came, has stayed on. With a food supply from down the mountain, he pays no mind to the destructive power of the snow and ice.

Of course, most birds are fussier and more principled in their search for food. There's a thin layer of lichen amid the snow and ice on the mountain's cliff. Below freezing, the living rhythms of the insects slow down. Plants, with their roots, branches and needles pulled tightly together to ward off the encroachments of the piercing wind, are the main reason birds can still be seen in this snowy land.

Relying on their own bodies for warmth, birds and men need not turn to the natural environment to soak up warmth, and so in frigid lands they fare better than cold-blooded creatures.

The alpine accentor lives at higher altitudes than any other bird in Taiwan. Perhaps living so long in the mountains, it knows not the ways of the world. Unlike the birds of lower altitudes, it is curious and trustful of people. In the eyes of the photographers taking their pictures, it's a friendly bird. It won't take flight at the sight of a lens. In guidebook descriptions, the alpine accentor, brown-headed nun babbler, and other birds that appear in snowy lands, all share a common characteristic: "Not afraid of people."

What's strange is that all these birds, though doing well in the cold, are endemic to Taiwan or Asia in general. Perhaps they have grown accustomed to the harshest of Mother Nature's weather up here on these slopes.

[Picture Caption]

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Formosan laughing thrush

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Vinaceous rosefinch

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Streak-throated Fulvetta

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Alpine accentor

Streak-throated Fulvetta.

Vinaceous rosefinch.

Formosan laughing thrush.

Alpine accentor.