The results of the 2025 International Black-faced Spoonbill Census were released in early April. This year, a total of 7,081 Black-faced Spoonbills were recorded worldwide, marking the first time the global population has surpassed the 7,000 threshold. In Taiwan, 4,169 individuals were recorded, a slight increase of 34 from the previous year. According to the organizer of the global census, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS)
On January 4th, 2025, the seven organizations which make up the Chiku and Jiangjun Salt Pan Wetlands Restoration Alliance conducted the Taiwan New Year Bird Count survey at Tainan City's Chiku and Jiangjun Salt Pans. In total, over 25,000 individuals representing 90 species were observed!
Results of the 2024 Taiwan Black-faced Spoonbill Census revealed a total of 4,135 spoonbills wintering in Taiwan proper and its outlying islands, down 93 from the year before. With annual census numbers consistently showing 50% to 60% of the global population, Taiwan is one of the most critical wintering areas for the iconic and globally threatened species. This year's survey took place January 19-21. Supported by the Taiwan Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation organized the event in Taiwan, working with birders, bird societies, government agencies, and other groups from all over the country to conduct the census. In recent years, over 100 surveyors have been required to accurately conduct the count.
In January 2024, The Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute (TBRI), the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation (TWBF), and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology officially launched Taiwan's first bird atlas project (known as the Taiwan Bird Atlas). Its goal is to complete detailed maps outlining the distribution, breeding, and number of bird species across Taiwan by 2028. Bird atlases are crucial for documenting and conserving biodiversity.
台灣又新增一例國際認證的里山倡議案例!高雄市野鳥學會經營的「美濃湖水雉復育園區」,美濃鳥友自2017起透過承租農地營造水雉棲地,串聯野蓮農、地方政府及社區組織,成功復育在地水雉族群,同時獎勵友善生態的農作,嘗試擴大棲地面積,打造與自然和諧共存的農村環境。今年透過中華民國野鳥學會的申請,順利成為國際里山倡議夥伴關係網絡(International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative, IPSI)的典範案例。
Taiwan has gained another internationally recognized Satoyama Initiative case study! The Meinong Lake Jacana Conservation Area (MLJCA) is managed by the by the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society (KWBS). A project which began officially in 2021, local birders had already begun doing land adoption near Meinong Lake to recreate habitat for the birds as early as 2017. The MLJCA brings together local government and community groups to successfully restore the habitat of Pheasant-tailed Jacanas. The community also works to reward eco-friendly farming practices, expand habitat areas, and create an agricultural environment that coexists with nature. This year, thanks to an application submitted on its behalf by IPSI member the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation (TWBF), the MLJCA successfully became a certified case study by the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI).