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Spoonbills return early and in great numbers

Black-faced spoonbills gather in Tainan County. More than 200 spoonbills have arrived in Taiwan this year -- three times the number recorded last year. PHOTO: CHEN YI-MIN, TAIPEI TIMES

Endangered black-faced spoonbills this winter returned to lagoons in Chiku, Tainan County, earlier than they did in previous years, and in greater numbers. The Wild Bird Federation Taiwan said yesterday that the nation's conservation efforts over the last decade have borne fruit, leading to a significant increase in the number of birds.

Beginning late last month, conservationists from diverse groups have systematically watched for black-faced spoonbills returning from the north to lagoons in Chiku, near the estuary of Tsengwen River, and nearby coastal wetlands.

A survey jointly carried out by the Wild Bird Society of Tainan and the Tainan County Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Society on Sunday shows that 168 black-faced spoonbills have arrived in Chiku. A bird was also sighted in the Ssu-tsao wetlands in Tainan City.

What especially excited bird conservationists was the appearance of two spoonbills that had been treated for botulism in Chiku last year. By identifying colored rings on the two spoonbills' legs, conservationists said that they were indeed Hsiaopao and Meiman, two of the 17 surviving spoonbills released early last year after receiving medical treatment over a number of weeks.

The birds seem to have completely regained their health, federation secretary-general Chiang Kuen-dar (江昆達) said yesterday.

Chiang said that another spoonbill wearing colored rings had been released by conservationists in Hong Kong in 1998.

Chiang said that efforts made in the last decade by bird conservationists have helped to increase the population of the species.

The birds leave North Korea in winter for wetlands near river estuaries in the south. They have been sighted along the southeast coast of China, in Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

According to a survey in January 1995, there were only 430 black-faced spoonbills globally at that time. However, a minimum of 1,069 black-faced spoonbills were counted in last year's census. Wintering census data from January this year shows that at least 1,206 black-faced spoonbills were observed.

"We've seen the population growing. As long as we keep preventing coastal wetlands from being destroyed, not only the spoonbill but also other endangered birds will be preserved," Chiang said.

According to the Tainan-based Wild Bird Society of Happy Family, the number of black-faced spoonbills in the area reached 223 yesterday. On the same date last year, there were only 78.

"The environment in Chiku remains ideal for these spoonbills," said Wang Jeng-jyi (王徵吉), a member of the society who has been taking pictures of the birds for 12 years.

A realtime water-quality monitoring system established by the Tainan County Government trans-fers data to the local environment bureau. The system was established when 73 black-faced spoonbills in Chiku died after being infected with botulism in December 2002.

In February and March last year, 17 surviving black-faced spoonbills were released at lagoons in Chiku after receiving medical treatment. Last winter, most of them were sighted by bird conservationists in Taiwan and Japan.
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