Purple herons have been sighted in Yilan County for the fifth consecutive year as the species has chosen to foster young in Siapu Township (下埔), and birdwatchers are flocking to the township in hopes of seeing them.
Wild Bird Association of Yilan president Wu Chun-te (吳俊德) said that purple herons are common in northeastern China, North Korea and South Korea and migrate south for the winter.
The first recorded sighting of young purple herons in Siapu Township was on Sept. 22, 2012, which confirmed that the birds were nesting and reproducing in the area, Wu said.
This year, five pairs of purple herons have been seen building nests in the township, Wu said.
Association member Lai Chien-cheng (賴建丞) said that while the herons would eventually migrate northeast again, Yilan is the only known place that they stay and foster their young.
Lai said they have recorded 12 nests and 24 herons living in them this year.
Heron chicks hatched in Taiwan might stay in Yilan or migrate northeast, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation said, adding that further observation is required to determine what the herons will do.
The herons were only visitors before, but after discovering an ample food supply in Yilan, “they have stayed, built nests and reproduced,” association volunteer Lin Fang-tse (林芳澤) said, adding that Yilan is the only place where birdwatchers are guaranteed to see purple herons.
Visitors and birdwatchers are asked to maintain a safe distance of at least 50m from the nesting birds so that they are not disturbed or frightened, Lin said.
Visitors should not make loud noises or abrupt actions near the nesting site, Lin said, adding that it is preferred that people wear plain, dark-colored clothing when birdwatching because bright colors could spook the herons.
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