I'd add Japan as a destination. Not just because I'm biased but, there are a shed load of endemics and, if you go at the right time, you can pick up species that are rightly classed as megas in Europe fairly easily. The only trouble is that you'll have to mug a lot of small kids for their pocket money in order to afford it.
But I think it's not just the 'right time', Chris, you have also to do a complete tour of the country because these birds are spread out and it will cost a lot of money, and you'll dip some anyway (Japanese Reed Bunting) because they are very rare or just because (Crested Kingfisher).
But since the topic has arisen, I'll tell you, Chris, about a great day or two last week on my local patch in central Nara. You will understand that these birds are not rare as such, but they are rare where I am.
In the Heijo Palace Site, they have been cutting down the reeds to let them re-grow for Spring, leaving just a couple of small patches. The
Red-breasted Crakes (about ten individuals) and
Eurasian Rails (three or four) which are there were wandering around in the open quite unconcerned. The
Reed Buntings (usually well hidden) were out in the open along with the
Black-faced Buntings,
Rustic Buntings and
Meadow Buntings (which all show themselves much more anyway). And
Japanese Bush Warbler was also out in the open. We have year-round
Skylarks in the same patch, and the
Grey-headed Lapwing are back looking for breeding sites (they fledge their first brood before the rice fields are flooded around the beginning of May).
And in a nearby grove were not only the
Dusky Thrushes which are here in large numbers through the winter along with
Pale Thrushes, but
Brown-headed Thrush,
Eyebrowed Thrush and
Naumann's Thrush (one each). And there was a flock of four
Japanese Waxwings in the same tree as the Naumann's.
And the
Wryneck (one or two pairs every year), not to be outdone, spent most of two days prancing around two metres away from the cameramen.
All this in an area about 100m x 100m in the middle of our city (and the mayor says there is no budget to make a nature reserve in this area, even though it would add to the tourist attractions (the place is already a Unesco historical world site)).
And if you moved ten minutes away, on the same day you got
Chestnut-cheeked Bunting out in the open, along with
Long-tailed Rosefinch,
Kingfisher,
Osprey and
Sparrowhawk, as well as
Mandarin Ducks and
Baikal Teal (not so out in the open these last two, but visible).
I'm leaving out all the regular birds (Crows, Wagtails, White-eyes, Sparrows, Tits, Cormorants, Egrets, and the usual ducks, etc).
But this was a two-day feast. Don't come to Japan thinking this will be available anytime. And, as I said, these are not endemics, but many scarce, or not easy to see in our area.
