Record numbers of migratory birds arrived in the Kaohsiung’s Cieding Wetlands (茄萣濕地) throughout the winter as a result of heavy rains that replenished bodies of water in the area, the Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau said on Friday.
Among the birds is a one-eyed bean goose that has attracted the attention of birdwatchers, the agency’s Maintenance Office said.
Greater numbers of white-fronted geese, Chinese pond herons, glossy ibises and a large flock of 200 black-faced spoonbills, among many other kinds of birds, have been identified since September last year, setting new records for the wetland’s biodiversity, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Cieding Visitors’ Association
A large gaggle of bean geese that made landfall in two flights have resided in the wetland for an unusually long period of four months, while new arrivals flew in as late as early this month, the office said.
Some of the reports came from a local birdwatcher and photographer surnamed Lu (呂).
The one-eyed goose attracted the interest after it was seen exploring urban alleys near the wetland, apparently undaunted by its impaired sight or lack of companions, the office said.
Birdwatchers dubbed the goose Hsiao Mai (小麥), a portmanteau of the Chinese names for “wheat geese” — a local name for bean geese — and US general Douglas MacArthur, whose bravery is reflected by the bird, the office said.
“The Cieding Wetlands are a biologically diverse natural habitat and an important site for ecological education,” the office said, adding that it would continue to work to protect the conservation area for Kaohsiung residents.
Separately, the Wild Bird Society of Taoyuan has installed 32 decoy terns as lure for that species to nest in a safe site near Taoyuan’s Jhuwei Fishing Harbor (竹圍漁港), where artificial shelters have been prepared.
The concrete decoys shelters built by volunteers are meant to draw the terns away from tourists and animals, and allow for the safe hatching of eggs, the society said.
Last year, 80 out of 93 clutches of eggs laid near the harbor produced viable offspring, it said.
However, 13 clutches failed to hatch after the parent birds were frightened away by tourists and stray dogs, it said.
The society has been placing decoy birds in Taoyuan wetlands since 2019, in spots deemed safe for the terns, which arrive in April each year to hatch their young, it said.
Birdwatchers can observe the terns from a designated area near the Jhuwei site.
The society requests that visitors remain silent to avoid frightening the birds, it said.
Additional reporting by Cheng Shu-ting
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