Taiwan's east coast, which is dominated by mountains and has only a narrow stretch of land to accommodate birds, sees a relatively small number of terrestrial and water birds migrating from Japan in autumn. The west coast, in contrast, has wide intertidal zones, often as wide as 5km. The abundant food there provides for numerous land, wading and water birds.
What triggers wild birds to migrate each year is a question under constant discussion by the international bird-watching community. However, the general consensus seems to be that the phenomenon is closely related to the length of daylight during different seasons which causes physiological changes within the body of migratory birds.
Researchers do know, however, that before these birds lift off for breeding grounds or winter shelters, they consume large quantities of food to store up fat in preparation for their migration, therefore, conservation of the natural habitats for these birds is vitally important to maintain Taiwan's diversity of birds.
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