The Yilan City Government has asked temples in parts of the city to tone down ceremonies and events, as noise might affect a Siberian crane that has been seen in the area.
Yilan Mayor Chiang Tsung-yuan (江聰淵) said that the city is coordinating with local temples to ensure that the migratory bird is not disturbed.
Temples and local residents have been asked to not light firecrackers during New Year’s Eve and the Lunar New Year celebrations, Chiang said, adding that temples have also been asked to stop ringing bells.
Photo courtesy of Bird Photography Club’s Chen Han-yu via CNA
Billboards have been set up next to the paddy that the bird has made its temporary home, cautioning people to avoid being noisy, he said.
Farmers have been asked to suspend using pesticides, he said.
A neighborhood patrol team is closely tracking the bird’s movements, Chiang said.
Officials from Yen Ping Kai Shing Temple, which is closest to the paddy field, have said that the temple would comply with the request.
The temple’s parking lot has been turned into a bird-watching area, they added.
“We will try to keep quiet as much as possible until the crane leaves,” an official surnamed Lai (賴) said.
The Siberian crane — which is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species — immediately drew attention when it arrived in the area last month.
The bird is indigenous to eastern Russia and usually migrates to Boyang Lake in central China for the winter.
However, its winter habitat has been diminished by the Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze River.
It is the second time that a Siberian crane has been reported in Taiwan, after a bird was spotted in New Taipei City in 2014.
Experts have confirmed that the sightings do not involve the same individual bird.
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