Black-Faced Spoonbills

Just a 25 minute drive north of Tainan City is the main wintering site of probably Taiwan's most famous bird, the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) in the flat Chiku wetlands (aka Chigu, Chigu). This endangered bird has the most restricted distribution of all spoonbills, confined to the coastal areas of east Asia, it spends the summer on a few small islets off the coast of the Korea peninsula and northeast China. As well as Cigu smaller numbers of birds winter at sites in Hong Kong (Mai Po Marshes) and Vietnam.


Taiwan, on the whole, has been successful in implementing measures to protect its habitat. Plans for an industrial zone in Cigu have been put on hold, instead the Taiwanese-and especially the people of Tainan, have taken great pride in protecting the main lagoon, establishing in 2002 the Chiku Black-faced Spoonbill reserve, providing an excellent visitor center and viewing shelters. The decline in population seems to have been halted, with a census of Tainan's creeks, lagoons and fishponds counting over 1,000 birds in the winter of 2007/2008.

Normally they are to be seen grouped together on mudflats or shallow water in the middle of the main lagoon. Black-faced spoonbills are similar to the world's five other spoonbill species - including the roseate of North and South America, they sweep partly open bills through water and silt to catch small fish and invertebrates such as prawns.


October to March is the most reliable time to view the spoonbills in Chiku. Smaller numbers may be spotted in the neighboring areas of Sitsao and the Aogu wetlands. The viewing area/visitor center is a long way from the nearest village, and public transport is virtually non-existent. If requiring a tour there from downtown Tainan, or Tainan High Speed Rail station contact us at ecologytaiwan@gmail.com


Other bird species sometime spotted in or around the Chiku spoonbill reserve:

Ciconia ciconia (endangered)

Platalea minor (endangered)

Falco peregrinus (endangered)

Egretta eulophotes

Ciconia nigna

Threskiornis melanocephalus

Anas formosa

Accipiter virgatus

Accipiter soloensis

Butastur indicus

Circus aeruginosus

Circus cyaneus

Milvus migrans

Pernis ptilorhynchus

Pandion haliaetus

Falco tinnunculus

Rostratula benghalensis

Glareola maldirarus

Sterna albifrons

Asio flammeus

Ninox scutulata

Garrulax canorus

Pica pica

Myiophoneus insularis

Lanius cristatus