The coming of fall brings northeasterly winds, and with it arrive migratory birds from the the north to set up a temporary home in Taiwan.
The aquatic bird observation area adjacent to Taipei Zoo’s tropical rainforest area is a popular resting spot for winter migratory birds. From now until the end of March next year, one only needs to wait for a while on one of the wooden boardwalks of the observation area for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Eurasian teal, mandarin ducks and many other varieties of migratory bird.
The aquatic bird observation area is a semi-natural lake where workers from Taipei Zoo feed the birds once during the morning and again in the afternoon, crossing the lake in rowing boats to deliver food. During feeding times you will see the lake’s “tenants” turning up one after the other. This includes a resident flock of ten black swans, in addition to white-breasted waterhen, common moorhen, kingfishers, Chinese egrets, herons and night herons, black-backed wagtails, mallards, Eurasian teals, little grebes and other migratory birds attracted to the area’s natural environment.
Photo: Chan Te-chuan, provided by Taipei Zoo
According to Taipei Zoo, of all the winter migratory birds who every year come to Taiwan to escape the cold, the majority are Eurasian teals, which can number in excess of 70-80 during the peak of the migratory season. The birds begin to arrive in Taiwan at the start of September and return north when spring arrives, so that by April most have already departed.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY EDWARD JONES)
隨著入秋後吹起的東北季風,居住在北方的候鳥會陸續飛來台灣報到。台北市立動物園熱帶雨林區旁的水鳥觀察區,是許多冬候鳥的休息站,現在起到明年三月底前,只要在木棧道上守候,就有機會發現小水鴨、鴛鴦等冬候鳥的蹤影。
Photo: Chan Te-chuan, provided by Taipei Zoo
照片:詹德川拍攝,台北市立動物園提供
水鳥觀察區是一個半天然的湖泊,保育員每天上、下午各一次餵食,划船帶著食物進場,就能看到「房客」們陸續登場,十多隻黑天鵝是固定班底,還有被自然環境吸引來的白腹秧雞、紅冠水雞、翠鳥、中白鷺、蒼鷺、夜鷺、白鶺鴒、綠頭鴨、小水鴨、小鷿鵜等。
動物園表示,每年來此避寒的冬候鳥以小水鴨為大宗,最多時可超過七、八十隻,在九月初陸續抵台,春天時北返,最遲四月底時幾乎全部離台。
(自由時報記者蔡亞樺)
Photo: Chan Te-chuan, provided by Taipei Zoo
照片:詹德川拍攝,台北市立動物園提供
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