Mikado Pheasant

Taiwan's most visually striking endemic bird has earned a place on the NT$1,000 banknote — the highest-denomination note in everyday circulation — through the sheer impact of its iridescent blue-black plumage and white-barred tail feathers reaching up to 50 centimetres in length. The Mikado Pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado) exists solely in Taiwan at elevations between 2,000 and 3,300 metres, with a wild population estimated at 10,000–25,000 individuals; sightings remain exceptional due to the bird's shy, forest-floor habits. The Tatajia trailhead area in Yushan National Park and the high trails of Shei-Pa are the most consistent locations, best visited during early-morning hours in May and June. Most sightings last under 30 seconds as the pheasant crosses a trail and retreats into undergrowth. Compared to the Formosan Landlocked Salmon, which is confined to a 5-kilometer stream, the Mikado Pheasant's wider high-elevation range provides more varied viewing spots.