Bird-watching enthusiasts from more than 30 countries are expected to gather in Taichung from Saturday next week to Sept. 21 for the first World Bird Fair, the Tourism Administration said yesterday.
Taiwan attracts a wide variety of bird species, as it is on the route for migratory birds from northeast Asia, has a diverse ecological environment and offers many natural habitats for birds, Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) told a news conference in Taipei.
With traveler-friendly facilities, Taiwan is an ideal place for bird-watchers, both professionals and amateurs, Lin said.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
“We are proud of this national treasure and want to share it with the world through the World Bird Fair. We hope that people can also see Taiwan through bird-watching activities,” he said.
World Bird Fair executive director Yu Wei-dow (余維道) said that many countries vied to host the World Bird Fair two years ago, but they needed to find sponsors.
“I assured them that Taiwan can host the fair because the Tourism Administration and other government agencies would support this international event,” Yu said, adding that Taiwan’s reputation as a bird-watcher’s paradise would spread through the 30 countries participating in the bird fair.
Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang Shih-fang (黃勢芳) said that Taiwan could be considered an “ark” for birds, as there are nesting habitats on the plains, hills, mountains and outlying islands.
“We would arrange different package tours for bird-watchers while they are in Taiwan. They are more likely to spend more time here, with some of them seeking high-end tour experiences. We would probably have people specifically in charge of arranging tours for them,” Huang said.
Taiwan is home to 32 endemic bird species, 31 of which can be found along the route from Dongshih Forestry Culture Park (東勢林業文化園區) to Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area (大雪山森林遊樂區) in Taichung, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said.
Styan’s bulbuls can only be found in Taitung County and Pingtung County’s Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), he said.
In addition, of the estimated 7,000 black-faced spoonbills in the world, about 4,000 are in Taiwan, highlighting the nation’s rich biodiversity that deserves global recognition, he said.
Taiwan is also home to wetlands, where many black-faced spoonbills gather, such as Tainan’s Taijiang National Park (台江國家公園), National Park Service Director-General Wang Cheng-ji (王成機) said.
Gray-faced buzzards can be found in Kenting National Park (墾丁國家公園) and Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園), where their seasonal migrations create a spectacle known as the “river of raptors,” Wang said.
Tsao Chung-yu (曹忠猷), director of the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area Administration, said the fair would feature a “bird costume show,” with the first 50 visitors dressed in bird-themed outfits receiving a NT$1,000 outdoor gift package.
Visitors who collect stamps representing five continents along with 12 booth stamps would be eligible to enter a raffle for prizes such as an Apple Watch SE and binoculars, he said.
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