Fewer spoonbills seen in Taiwan

MIGRATION:
Most of the rescued black-faced spoonbills became ill because of botulinum toxin, which they ingested after consuming dead fish

• By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

The number of black-faced spoonbills around the globe is up 355 to 6,988 this year, but the number in Taiwan is down 93 to 4,135 due to inadequate habitats for the migratory bird, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said yesterday.

The global survey, which was conducted in January with cooperation from the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation and bird-watching societies in other countries, found that the number of black-faced spoonbills in all main wintering areas has increased.

Taiwan remains the world’s largest wintering zone for black-faced spoonbills despite the slight fall in numbers, the survey found.

The number recorded in Taiwan far exceeded those recorded in other countries, including 1,603 in China, 702 in Japan, 375 in Hong Kong and Houhai Bay, 86 in Vietnam, 39 in South Korea, 13 in Macau, seven in the Philippines and one in Thailand, data shown.

Compared with last year, more black-faced spoonbills can now be found on the border between Changhua and Yunlin counties as well as in Pingtung County, in addition to the core areas of Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

The number recorded near the Changhua-Yunlin border is up 94 this year, while the number in Pingtung is up 105, the survey showed.

Of the 4,135 black-faced spoonbills identified in Taiwan, 2,088 were spotted in Tainan, 887 in Chiayi County, 454 were on the Changhua-Yunlin border, 423 were in Kaohsiung, 121 in Pingtung County, 93 in Yunlin County and 44 in Yilan County .

Meanwhile, 10 were found in Kinmen, six in New Taipei City, five in Penghu County, three in Changhua County and one in Hsinchu County, survey data showed.

The agency said that a total of 86 black-faced spoonbills were rescued between winter last year and spring this year, 25 of which had been released into the wild after being treated by veterinarians.

Most of the rescued black-faced spoonbills became ill because of botulinum toxin, which they ingested after consuming dead fish, the agency said.

The toxin grows in high-temperature environments leading to a shortage of oxygen in still water, it said, adding that the Tainan City Government has been cleaning up the dead fish.

Protecting natural habitats remains key to maintaining the number of spoonbills wintering in Taiwan, the agency said.

Since 2021, fish farmers have received government subsidies for maintaining water levels at 20cm for one month after the harvesting of fish from October to April the following year.

The maximum subsidy that a fish farmer can receive is NT$10,000 per hectare, it said, adding that eco-friendly fish farms in Tainan had grown to 200 hectares as of last year.

However, federation secretary-general Allen Lyu (呂翊維) said the habitats for black-faced spoonbills remain insufficient.

“Some fish ponds in Tainan’s Cigu (七股) have been developed into symbiotic fisheries and photovoltaics. The habitats have been shrinking due to continuous land development, which will cause the spoonbills to move and search for food elsewhere,” Lu said.