Conservationists yesterday held a demonstration at Taitung County’s Jhihben Beach, calling on the public to avoid activities that disturb breeding seagulls.
The nests of the breeding seagulls are threatened by fishers driving onto the beach, the group said, as it named other behaviors people should avoid to leave the seagulls undisturbed.
People should not allow construction to interfere with the nests, should not drive across beaches during the nesting season, should not venture near the chicks, should not let dogs or other pets near the nests or chicks, and should keep the beaches clean, it said.
Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei Times
Kentish plovers, little terns and other migratory birds are also breeding throughout the county from this month to August, it added.
Little terns (a class 2 protected species), Kentish plovers (a class 3 protected species), the little ringed plover, the savanna nightjar and the Oriental skylark, among other species, tend to nest on sandy beaches and in areas of coastal vegetation, Taitung Wild Bird Society chairman Wu Chih-sheng (吳志昇) said.
“The wetlands on the north shore of the mouth of the Jhihben River have the most nests, because the area is a complete habitat for birds,” he said, adding that migratory birds nesting in the area lay eggs in colors that blend into the environment to avoid predators.
The hatchlings have only two to three months to develop before they must migrate for the winter, which means that they must not be disturbed during those critical months, Wu added.
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