The country's efforts to save an endemic rare bird, the Formosan blue magpie, have borne fruit, a local conservationist said yesterday.
Liao Shi-ching (
"It is rare to see so many of these birds together," Liao said, adding that the scene could serve as evidence of Taiwan's achievement in conserving the endangered bird species.
PHOTO: CNA
"The picture really indicates that Taiwan's conservation work is going very well," Liao said, "I have even seen families of Formosan blue magpies near Taipei city."
Liao and other members of the birding association are frequently out in areas where the birds are known to visit and rarely do they see so many birds at the same time.
However, Liao declined to say whether this was a clear indication that the birds' numbers have significantly increased. He said a proper study should be undertaken by the Council of Agriculture.
But Liao said he believed the numbers are "increasing" because of the introduction of the Wildlife Protection Act in 1991 and increasing public awareness of the need to protect the birds.
The Formosan blue magpie, also known as the "Long-tailed mountain lady" is one of Taiwan's 14 endemic bird species. It lives in the mountains at elevations of 300m to 1,200m.
Although one of the main threats to the survival of Formosan blue magpies is illegal capture, Liao said reports of such cases are decreasing because of rising awareness of preservation.
The Formosan blue magpie was named Taiwan's national bird last year.
‘LONE WOLF’: The suspect was difficult to locate, as he did not use a cellphone, did not contact family and often lived in abandoned sites or parks, police said Taipei police on Thursday morning arrested a man accused of numerous burglaries and at least 14 incidents of sexual assault spanning more than 20 years, in what might be the nation’s most notorious crime spree in recent years. Sixty-year-old Tu Ming-lang (涂明朗) — who was yesterday placed in judicial detention, after a judge determined he was a flight risk without a fixed address — faces multiple charges of sexual assault and burglary, police said. A task force comprised of various law enforcement agencies arrested Tu as part of an investigation into an April 28 burglary in Daan District (大安), in which a
Ninth graders were asked to define “trolling” on this year’s standardized exam, reflecting efforts to make the test better reflect real-life situations. Adjustments to this year’s Comprehensive Assessment Program for Junior High School Students were revealed on Sunday, after the last cohort of students completed the test over the weekend. The Ministry of Education solicited feedback about the test from teachers, who approved of the new question in the English portion. Not only was question No. 20 “very much in line with real-life situations,” but it also used a new style in which students were asked to ascertain the correct dictionary definition based
Taiwan is on alert for monkeypox, a rare viral disease that has caused 87 infections in 11 countries over the past three weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Saturday. The WHO on Friday convened an emergency session to discuss a sudden outbreak of monkeypox in North America and Europe. Since the beginning of this month, 87 confirmed cases and 28 possible cases have been identified in 11 countries. The countries with the highest case counts are England with 29 cases, and Portugal and Spain with 23 each. Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease occurring primarily in the tropical rainforest areas
Three human skeletons and artifacts believed to be about 400 years old were unearthed by construction workers at National Ilan University in Yilan County, the university said yesterday. The discoveries were made on May 10 as workers were digging to expand the College of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science’s facilities, the university said in a statement. The skeletons were found at three sites, along with glass beads, copper bells and rings, discs and a fish-shaped metal knot, it said. The find is likely connected to the “Old Baili Village” (擺厘舊社, Bai Li Jiu She), an as-yet-undiscovered Kavalan settlement that has been mentioned in