At 757, Taiwan has seen a record high number of endangered black-faced spoonbills wintering in the southern part of the country, the Wild Bird Federation Taiwan said yesterday. The group made public their most up-to-date information on the species.
According to the federation, the record-high figure suggests an obvious improvement to the habitats where the birds spend the winter. At the same time last year, the number reported was only 628.
PHOTO: LIBERTY TIMES
On Sunday, a one-day global synchronic census on the endangered bird was carried out by conservationists associated with the federation. Yesterday, Fang Woei-horng (方偉宏), vice president of the federation, released a report on the census which shows that wetlands in Chiku, Tainan County, near Tsengwen Esturay is the most ideal site for the bird. Some 407 black-faced spoonbills were observed there. At wetlands in nearby Sitsao Township, 277 spoonbills were observed. Another 57 spoonbills were seen in the estuary of Bachang Creek, which straddles Tainan and Chiayi counties, four were seen in the Choshui estuary of Yunlin County, one at Chihpen wetland in eastern Taitung County and 11 at Wengdi wetland in northeastern Ilan County.
Federation secretary-general Chiang Kuen-dar (江昆達) told the Taipei Times yesterday that the result shows that conservation efforts made in the last decade have borne fruit.
"More wintering sites for the rare bird are now available. The number of spoonbills observed on wetlands in Sitsao, where is now an ecological reserve, has almost doubled since last year," Chiang said.
Since early September, the black-faced spoonbills returned to southern Taiwan earlier than they did in previous years, and in greater numbers. The peak number was measured in last month at 842.
Chiang said that some estuaries could be made into wintering sites for the bird if efforts were made to ensure proper habitat management.
Citing Aogu wetland near the estuary of Peikang River in Chiayi County as an example, Chiang said that bird watchers he talked to on Sunday said no spoonbills were spotted there. This is unusual, as the wetland is regarded by conservationists as one of the most important habitats for the wild bird, Chang said.
Conservationists soon figured out why the spoonbills were absent. Local authorities in the area destroyed 183kg of gunpowder at the ecologically sensitive site on Saturday, apparently driving the birds away.
Chiang said that a global census was conducted on the same day by conservationists in different countries, and a final report on the bird's global population would be released next month.
Black-faced spoonbills leave North Korea in winter for wetlands near river estuaries in the southern regions of Asia. They have been sighted along the southeast coast of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. A global study conducted in January 1995 revealed that there were only 430 black-faced spoonbills in the world. However, the population has been growing, with a minimum of 1,069 counted in 2003 census and 1,206 last year.
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
TAKE BREAKS: A woman developed cystitis by refusing to get up to use the bathroom while playing mahjong for fear of disturbing her winning streak, a doctor said People should stand up and move around often while traveling or playing mahjong during the Lunar New Year holiday, as prolonged sitting can lead to cystitis or hemorrhoids, doctors said. Yuan’s General Hospital urologist Lee Tsung-hsi (李宗熹) said that he treated a 63-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙) who had been sitting motionless and holding off going to the bathroom, increasing her risk of bladder infection. Chao would drink beverages and not urinate for several hours while playing mahjong with friends and family, especially when she was on a winning streak, afraid that using the bathroom would ruin her luck, he said. She had
RSS