A young Siberian white crane that migrated to a northern Taiwan wetland in December last year, and survived attacks by hawks and stray dogs, has now stolen the hearts of Taiwanese.
The little white crane, about a year old, flew into the Cingshuei Wetlands (清水濕地) in New Taipei City’s Jinshan Township (金山) on Dec. 13, three days after it stopped on Pengjia Islet (彭佳嶼), north of Keelung.
The presence of the rare bird — a species that is in danger of extinction — immediately drew attention, as it was the first time in recent history that a Siberian crane had landed in Taiwan.
The migratory bird is a member of the Gruidae family that lives in eastern Russia and migrates to Boyang Lake in central China for the winter. Its usual overwintering habitat has been damaged as a result of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze River.
The young bird, which apparently lost contact with its flock, has become an attraction because of its graceful dance-like movements as it sunbathes, sleeps, stretches its wings, flies and splashes in pools of water, experts said.
Taiwan Ecological Engineering Development Foundation deputy executive Chiu Ming-yuan (邱銘源) said many birdwatchers and tourists are “touched by its beauty,” and love to share their photographs of the bird on the Internet.
The crane’s social media buzz caught the attention of Australian and Japanese birders, who came to Taiwan to see it.
Chiu said the little white crane has been attacked by stray dogs and chased by ospreys — challenges it has had to overcome to survive.
Other birdwatchers said that at one point, the crane appeared to be suffering from a lame leg, but recovered after eating a lot and resting.
When it was able to fly again, many birders broke out in cheers, they said.
Documentary film director Chang Po-chun (張博鈞) said the crane has been joined by an egret in the search for food in the wetland and on nearby farms.
“Such interactions would help the crane to grow,” he added.
In addition to fleeing from natural enemies, the crane has had to deal with the unintentional intrusion of a television crew that was shooting a scene for a drama, which included an ambulance with a siren that scared the bird away.
Local police officer Lee Wan-chu (李萬居) said the team was fined NT$1,500 for blocking traffic and shooting scenes near animal protection areas without a permit.
Some animal lovers have protested against the television company. The son of the owner of a farm where the filming took place declared the entire television company persona non grata.
In the wake of the disturbances by the television crew, Chiu said schoolchildren began forming chains to protect the crane, even when it rains.
The human protection chain started after the bird “returned back home” the following day, at noon.
Well-known ornithologist Ting Tzung-su (丁宗蘇), an associate professor at National Taiwan University’s department of forestry and natural resources, has shared information with bird experts in Russia, China and the US about the Siberian crane’s life in Taiwan.
As the crane has adapted to life in northern Taiwan, security guards employed by the Council of Agriculture’s Forestry Bureau have shortened their “duty time” to eight hours per day — a protection measure that is likely to be continued until it grows up.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) has urged the council to continue its protection of the bird.
Council Minister Chen Bao-ji (陳保基) said in response that he would love to discuss the proposal, in hopes that the bird will be able to “live an independent life.”
Chang’s foundation and other wildlife protection groups are calling on bird lovers to give the crane a safe haven, to enable “happy encounters between the rare bird and humans.”
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