I. Birds (I)Heron family 1. Black-faced spoonbill The black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a rare large wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae, with a body length of about 74 centimeters. The most distinctive feature of its appearance is its long, flattened, spoon-like beak, which is very similar to the pipa, a Chinese musical instrument. It is also known as the "black-faced dancer" because of its elegant posture when in movement. It is usually found in shallow water areas such as coasts, estuaries and sandbanks. Black-faced spoonbills rest during the daytime, while foraging activities often start after dusk. Most of the black-faced spoonbills forage collectively, sweeping their long, flattened beaks into the water together, sweeping fish and shrimp in a swift motion, and then opening their mouths to catch them, making it a very fascinating sight. In addition to sleeping and foraging food, black-faced spoonbills also play with each other, or use seawater to bathe and tidy up their feathers. Black-faced spoonbills are found along the coasts of East Asia, mainly China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam. It breeds on the uninhabited islands between the Liaodong Peninsula in China and the Korean Peninsula, and is a migratory bird that breeds in North Korea and Northeast China from May to September before flying to the Southeast coast of China, Taiwan and Vietnam from October to April to spend the winter.
2. Little egret The little egret is widely distributed in southern Europe, Africa, Madagascar, east to China, Taiwan and Japan, and south to Australia. Except for being a summer resident bird in Europe that migrates south to Africa in winter, for other regions they are mostly resident birds. In Taiwan, they are commonly found on the plains, hills and low hills, mostly in western Taiwan, and less frequently in the east. They are active on beaches, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes and ponds, where they forage for fish and shrimp. Egret nests are usually simple and crude, made of bamboo and branches, and both males and females work together to build nests, brood eggs and raise their young. The little egret has a black beak and feet and greenish-yellow feet and toes, while the house bird has dark red feet; this is their identifying feature in the wild. The intermediate egret is found in Korea, Japan, south-central China, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, Borneo, Sunda Islands, New Guinea and Australia. They are also found in Iwo Jima. They are a common wintering bird in Taiwan, and some are resident birds. In particular, there is a sizable flock of intermediate egrets at the seashore of Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, located at the mouth of Dadu River, whtere they can be spotted in summer. The intermediate egret is slightly larger than the little egret, and its beak is yellow in winter and black in summer, with black feet and toes. The birds have 18 to 27 plumes, 31.5 to 39cm long, which exceeds tail feathers by 7.6 to 18.5cm in length. This plume is shed in autumn (Kuroda, 1934). They often mix with great egrets and little egrets to feed in various waters such as riverbanks, beaches, sandbanks, fishponds, ponds, drainage ditches and paddy fields, etc. They feed mostly on small fish, snails and crabs. The breeding grounds of the great egret mostly lies in southern part of the coast of the Ussuri region in eastern Siberia and the Changbai Mountains of Jilin in northeastern China, and migrates south to winter in south-central China, Tibet, Hainan Island, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and its archipelagoes, the Philippines, Borneo, and Australia in the south; it is a common resident bird or transit and wintering bird in Taiwan. The great egret is a large heron second only to the grey heron in size, with a slender and curved neck. The beak is yellow in winter and black in summer; the plumes exceed the tail feathers by 15.6 centimeters and usually number 48 to 54 per bird (Kuroda, 1934). In wetlands such as the mouth of Lanyang River, along the Tamsui River and the mouth of Dadu River, or in nearby paddy fields, it is common to see great, intermediate, and little egrets intermingling together. When walking, they often hunch their necks and move slowly. They mostly group nest with other herons, and the nests are made by piling up twigs. They mainly feed on small prey, such as insects, mollusks, crustaceans, small fish, shrimps, crabs, tadpoles, frogs, etc. Related links: National Museum of Natural Science, Administration Center of Natural Science Education Parks, Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park
(II) Waders (Shorebirds) 1. Eurasian curlew There is a sizable population of waders in Taijiang, and their foraging periods in estuaries and reclaimed lands are greatly influenced by the tides. In the estuaries of Yanshui River and Zengwen River, when the tide recedes, the largest number of waterfowls are found feeding on the mud flats. Eurasian curlews are the largest of waders (Scolopacidae). The Chinese idiom “struggle between snipe and clam” (鷸蚌相爭) refers to the fact that these birds mainly feed on bottom-dwelling shellfish and crabs on the coastal mud flats. With a long and curved beak of more than 18 centimeters, the Eurasian curlew can reach into the mud flats to search for edible species such as worms and crabs. The lower abdomen and waist are pure white, while the rest of the body is in various shades of spotted brown . Related links: National Museum of Natural Science, Administration Center of Natural Science Education Parks, Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park (III) Water birds (Anatidae) 1. Eurasian teal The Eurasian teal breeds in Europe and north-central Asia, and migrates to the south in winter to avoid the cold. The bird winters in the Nile basin in northern Africa, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Hainan Island, Taiwan and the Philippines. The Eurasian teal is the most common bird of the Anatidae family that migrates to Taiwan in winter; it can be seen especially in mountain lakes and reservoirs with wide water bodies in winter. They start arriving in Taiwan from September each year, and are at their peak from November to December, and return north from the end of March the following spring, with most of them leaving by the end of April. In winter, they are seen flying in flocks on beaches, wide stream mouths, rivers, reservoirs and lakes, feeding and playing in groups. During the day, most of them roost in groups on the water or on the shore with good visibility. The birds can take off and fly straight up to the sky, extending its head straight ahead when flying. They mainly feed on rice, grass seed
2. Greater white-fronted goose The greater white-fronted goose breed in the Arctic coast from Siberia to the Bering Strait, the arctic regions of North America, western Europe and western Greenland. In winter, they migrate south to the northern parts of China, Japan, India, and Myanmar. They are found in the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, most of North America, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a rare winter bird in Taiwan. Greater white-fronted goose are widespread in all parts of China. Their habits are the same as those of other geese. Every year, they migrate in flocks after autumn, mostly flying at night and scattering into small flocks after arriving at wintering areas. When the weather is warm and sunny, they are more dispersed; on cold days, such as rainy, windy or snowy days, they gather in flocks in sheltered places and are less active, flying swiftly and nimbly and making high-pitched cries. The greater white-fronted goose mainly feeds on various water plants, and sometimes also eats grains, seeds, rhizomes and young leaves and shoots of various crops, causing damage to crops (Zheng et al 1979).
4. Northern pintail The northern pintail breeds in Europe, north-central Asia and North America. In Asia, they can be found breeding in Tian Shan, Xinjiang, Mongolia and northeast China, the Ussuri region and Sakhalin Island. The northern pintail winters in areas near the equator, and to avoid the cold they migrate south to Sudan, Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, Southern China, Indochina, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo. Those originating from North America also migrate to Colombia or Hawaii Islands in Central America, and their distribution is extremely wide. In Taiwan, they come across the sea from mid-September to early October every fall, and are at their peak in mid-November, returning north to their breeding grounds in April of the following spring. They inhabit beaches, rivers, lakes and marshes, and forages in wetlands, marshes, and paddies. They spend most of their time roosting in the sea or lakes during the day because of human interference. In the evening, when there is less human interference, they can forage in wetlands or rice paddies. They are omnivorous and mainly feed on plants. They are often mixed with other species of ducks and are good at flying.
5. Eurasian wigeon The Eurasian wigeon breeds in northern Eurasia, from Iceland, Scandinavia, Siberia in the west to Kamchatka in the east. They winter in southern Europe, northeastern and northwestern Africa, northern Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, India, northern Myanmar, Indochina, southeastern China, Yunnan, western Tibet, Japan, south to Caroline and Marshall Islands, and are occasionally seen in Greenland and North America, etc. They are a common wintering bird in Taiwan. The Eurasian wigeon is not a common wintering bird along the Tamsui River in northern Taiwan and in the Yilan area, and the number of wintering birds in both areas is very small. In the mouth of the Dadu River, however, they are a common wintering bird, with a population only smaller than the Northern pintail and the Eurasian teal, and similar to the spot-billed duck. They fly fast and powerfully, and often make a loud call. They live together with other ducks on the beaches outside the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park. Sometimes they also feed in marshes or abandoned fishponds of greater depth. They mainly feed on plants, such as shoots, stems and roots; when the rice is mature, they eat rice grain as their main diet.
(IV) Terns (Laridae) The whiskered tern is 25cm in length and 76cm in wingspan. The winter plumage is generally grayish white, with black beaks and feet, and only the occipital region of the head and behind the eyes are grayish black. The summer plumage has a dark red beak, red feet, black head to back neck, dark gray back and chest, white throat and side of neck, black abdomen, and a grayish white tail with a light fork. They breed in northeastern China, near Lake Xingkai, and migrate southward in winter via southeastern China and Taiwan to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, the Philippine Islands, Australia, and New Zealand to avoid the cold. Whiskered terns have a habit of gathering at dusk to fly. According to the observation of birders Wang Zhen-Ji and Huang Jun-Hsian, this behavior is not only the training of subadult flight skills, but also the common caution towards enemies and the dilution effect when they are hunted, which may be the main reason for such a grand evening flight scene. The dusk flight of the whiskered tern can be divided into three main axes: the aggregation period, the flight period, and the dispersal period. 1. Aggregation period: At dusk, thousands of whiskered terns fly in flocks from the fishponds in the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area to the Beimen Lagoon at an altitude of 500 meters, where the first whiskered terns usually hover slowly at high altitude, waiting for their distant partners. 2. Flight period: When the number of whiskered terns in the flock reaches about 20,000 to 30,000, the shape of the flock will start to change, from a cloudy drifting type to a tornado type or a funnel type, the shape is quite variable and the flock also separates into two large flocks each flying and forming. Depending on your viewing angle and the direction of the flock leader, the most wonderful sight is the dense flock of birds forming into a "flying dragon in the sky", transforming into a giant dragon swooping down from high altitude at high speed! When the flock rushes to the lagoon surface, it starts to enter the latter part of flight, and each whiskered tern becomes a high-speed combat aircraft and starts to conduct a low-altitude flying parade on the sea surface. The birds will follow the movement of the leader, and despite being obstructed by many obstacles such as oyster racks and fishing boats, they will flap their wings and swerve left and right, circle and roll at high speed, and at this time they will show the black and white changes on their backs and bellies; that is, the direction changes rapidly, but the formation can still be maintained neatly and uniformly. This is truly an ecological wonder of the bird world to behold. 3. Dispersal period: After about 15 to 20 minutes of flight parade, the whiskered terns will disperse radially to the oyster racks in the middle of the lagoon. The whiskered terns that land first will make loud "krek krek" calls to warn latecomers not to intrude into their sleeping grounds. Of course, the whiskered terns that seize territory and those that do not find territory will fly and call for a bed, and finally, as it gets dark, the colony will go to sleep.
Related links: Agriculture Bureau, Tainan City Government, National Museum of Natural Science, Administration Center of Natural Science Education Parks, Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park
II. Fiddler crabs There are 10 kinds of fiddler crabs in Sicao Wetlands, including the bowed fiddler crab, milky fiddler crab, northern calling fiddler crab, Taiwanese fiddler crab, triangular fiddler crab, tetragonal fiddler crab, Dussumier’s fiddler crab , thick-legged fiddler crabs, perplexing fiddler crab, and the narrow-fingered fiddler crab. The Yanshui estuary is the only area in Taiwan where the largest number of the 10 species can be found. In particular, the Taiwanese fiddler crab (Uca formosensis) is endemic to Taiwan. The Taiwanese fiddler crab likes to live in the hard and sticky mud flats below the high tide line, and its nesting form is like a tall tower chimney, which is a very special habit of the tide crab.
III. Mangroves Mangroves are evergreen shrubs or tree forests that grow in tropical and subtropical regions in rivers and coastal intertidal mud. As the habitat of mangroves is deeply affected by the tides of the sea, they are also called "tidal forests". The Chinese name for mangroves "紅樹" (Hongshu, "Red tree"), is based on the characteristics of the mangrove family, as its wood, trunk, branches, and flowers are all red in color, and the bark can be refined to produce a red dye, hence the name. According to the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, mangroves can be classified into True Mangrove and Minor Mangrove according to their reproductive patterns. True mangroves refers to "woody plants that live exclusively in the intertidal zone of estuaries and have evolved aerial roots and viviparity to adapt to the environment. Minor mangroves refer to plants that can grow in the intertidal zone and extend to terrestrial ecosystems. In Taiwan, the true mangrove plants include the "Kandelia obovata" and "Spotted mangrove" of the Rhizophoraceae family, the "White-flowered black mangrove" of the Combretaceae family, and the "White mangrove" of the Verbenaceae family. The mangrove area along the drainage road behind the Sicao Dazhong Temple is the best natural observation area for mangroves in Tainan. Along the waterway of less than 200 meters, three species of mangrove plants are distributed: the most abundant are the white mangroves, followed by the most salinity-tolerant white-flowered black mangrove and a small number of spotted mangroves. In the canopy of the mangrove, you can clearly see birds moving among the mangroves, and you can also see fiddler crabs in the mangrove tidal ditch and under the shade of the mangroves, and you can also see mudskippers in the waterway to the east of the temple. The "minor mangroves" are also called "mangroves" in a broader sense of the definition, or known as "mangrove associates". The woody plants are: incense trees, sea hibiscus, seaside clerodendrum, terminalia catappa, looking glass tree, powder-puff tree and Indian Barringtonia, etc. Herbaceous plants include: Suaeda nudiflora, seashore dropseed, shoreline purslane, etc. Since mangroves grow in an environment where the salt content is higher than that of ordinary land in estuarine mudflats or tide-sensitive areas, and coastal beaches are also common in the vicinity, plants that can survive in such an environment must also be drought-resistant and salinity-tolerant, which is why some people call these plants "salt plants". Some of them are also parasitic and climb on mangrove trees or windbreak trees, such as the thickfruit millettia, stinking passionflower, Cuscuta chinensis, and the love-vine(Cassytha filiformis). Related links: Agriculture Bureau, Tainan City Government, National Museum of Natural Science, Administration Center of Natural Science Education Parks, Fonghuanggu Bird and Ecology Park