Taipei Zoo to Greet Migratory WaterfowlsPost date：2017-10-19
Updates：2017-10-23
Press bureau：Department of Information Technology
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With the advent of autumn, Taiwan is prepared to welcome the arrival of migratory birds flying south on the northeast winds. Taipei Zoo invites avian enthusiasts to visit the Waterfowl Observation zone adjacent to the Asian Tropical Rainforest Area to revel in birdwatching activities.The migratory season for water fowls is expected to last through March next year.The Waterfowl Observation zone, a seminatural lake where five mountain streams converge to bring in freshwater all-year-round and hidden inside a verdant forest, boasts a plethora of wildlife.
The lake, which may appear tranquil for most of the time, suddenly becomes bustling with activities at the two daily feeding times. Waterfowls show up one-by-one to relish free meals provided by zoo staff. The avian “tenants” include dozens of black swans, white-breasted waterhens, moorhens, kingfishers, intermediate egrets, grey herons, black-crowned night herons, white wagtails, mallards, Eurasian teals, and little grebes.Taipei Zoo noted that the Eurasian teal is the most commonly seen avian spending winter in Taiwan; at peak there can be as many as 80 such birds at the Waterfowl Observation zone. The most elusive one is the Mandarin duck, a bird so shy that observers can hardly take a peek at it without the help of a telescope or a camera with high-ratio zoom lenses. As for the highly-territorial black swans, they’ll even attack wild ducks rushing to grab a share of the feast if they are hatching or building nests!
The lake, which may appear tranquil for most of the time, suddenly becomes bustling with activities at the two daily feeding times. Waterfowls show up one-by-one to relish free meals provided by zoo staff. The avian “tenants” include dozens of black swans, white-breasted waterhens, moorhens, kingfishers, intermediate egrets, grey herons, black-crowned night herons, white wagtails, mallards, Eurasian teals, and little grebes.Taipei Zoo noted that the Eurasian teal is the most commonly seen avian spending winter in Taiwan; at peak there can be as many as 80 such birds at the Waterfowl Observation zone. The most elusive one is the Mandarin duck, a bird so shy that observers can hardly take a peek at it without the help of a telescope or a camera with high-ratio zoom lenses. As for the highly-territorial black swans, they’ll even attack wild ducks rushing to grab a share of the feast if they are hatching or building nests!
