The number of migratory gray-faced buzzard-eagles spotted in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Peninsula this month has reached 59,500, the highest in three decades, the Raptor Research Group of Taiwan said on Wednesday.
Bird watcher Tsai I-jung (蔡乙榮) said that Kenting National Park, a wildlife preserve, was a key factor in the steep rise in the number of migratory birds in the area.
He said that 10,000 gray-faced buzzard-eagles were observed in the park in a single day this year as they passed through Taiwan on their way south.
Photo courtesy of Tsai I-jung
When the Kenting National Park Administration started researching the eagle species in 1989, the highest number recorded in Taiwan was 10,504, Tsai said, adding that the number fluctuated only slightly between 1990 and 2003.
However, since then the number has been growing, from more than 20,000 birds 20 years ago to 53,200 last year, which then increased to 59,500 this year, he said, attributing the remarkable growth to good weather, as well as the national park’s hunting ban and conservation efforts.
The eagles usually stop in Manjhou Township (滿州) on their southward migratory path.
Thanks to educational efforts by the Kenting National Park Administration, the township has been promoting eagle-viewing tours and many former hunters have transformed into informative guides.
Manjhou Township Mayor Yu Tseng-chun (余增春) said he plans to promote Manjhou as an eco-tourism hub to attract eagle watchers from around Asia.
He also plans to form sisterhood agreements with other townships in the Asia-Pacific region where gray-faced buzzard-eagles and Chinese sparrow hawks also pass through.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) yesterday said that private-sector refiners are willing to stop buying Russian naphtha should the EU ask them to, after a group of non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), criticized the nation’s continued business with the country. While Taiwan joined the US and its Western allies in putting broad sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, it did not explicitly ban imports of naphtha, a major hard-currency earner for Russia. While state-owned firms stopped importing Russian oil in 2023, there is no restriction on private companies to
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS