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

Tainan Wetlands - Birds

Ecology of the Tainan Wetlands

Tainan has a remarkably large and well protected wildlife preserve within its city limits. Between the city proper and the Technology Park (not the 'Science' Park further to the east) is an area of over 500 hectares set aside for wetland ecology. Some sections are still having their former salt harvesting and aquaculture apparatus disassembled, other areas resemble a more remote natural world. Access to the main area is, thankfully, difficult.

This area was until 1823 (when it silted-up because of a change in the course of the Tseng-wen river) an inland sea. The development, in 1990, of an industrial zone on the site of abandoned saltpans and fish ponds was a cause of concern to environmentalists. The compromise was the establishment of Sihcao Wildlife Preserve.

One of the best places to go exploring is in the area of the Ta-chung temple in Sihcao (four grass), just to the north of the city proper. Boat tours leave from next to the temple traveling into the 'green tunnel' and larger channels near the reserve. Be sure to visit the dolphin rescue center, and the famous exploding whale at createan museum at the old salt village just to the north. Note: public transport to the blackfaced spoonbill reserve in Chiku (Chigu, Ciku) listed in the Taiwan Lonely Planet is actually to Sihcao, not Chiku

Birds

Resident - all year.

Moorhen
Little Egret
Black-winged Stilt
Common Kingfisher
Black-crowned Night Heron
White-breasted Water Hen
Spotted Dove
Plain Prinia


Scaly-breasted Munia
Chinese Bulbul

Summer Visitor

Great and Intermediate Egret
Wood Sandpiper
Common Greenshank

Gray Heron
Gray-tailed Tattler
Dunlin