About 150 bird enthusiasts are to participate in a birdwatching competition in central Taiwan’s Dasyueshan (大雪山), an area known for its avian diversity, an organizer said.
The participants, including five from Canada, are to compete at the fifth Dasyueshan Bird Race today and tomorrow, the Chinese Wild Bird Federation said.
During the event, which is the largest and longest-running competition of its type in Taiwan, birdwatchers will compete in teams to see or hear the greatest number of bird species over 24 hours in the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area.
From 10:30am today until 10:30am tomorrow, the competitors could be treated to courtship displays by Mikado and Swinhoe’s pheasants at the nation’s top birdwatching site, campaign manager Chiu Po-ying said.
“Hopefully we will be able to record more bird species than ever this year,” Chiu said, adding that 172 bird species have been recorded over the past four events, including 23 of the nation’s 25 endemic species.
The competition is also aimed at monitoring bird populations and their conservation in Taiwan, with data generated during the event to be added to a global database on eBird.org, Chiu said.
Since the first Dasyueshan competition in 2011 the event has attracted more than 600 participants, including teams from the US, Canada, France, the UK, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China, Chiu added.
Although event registration is already closed, those interested are welcome to go bird watching with the competitors, Chiu said.
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