Taipei’s Hidden Bird-Watching Gem Revealed: Spot Over 40 Bird Species

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported
 
The Shetou Island wetlands boast a rich environment where over 40 bird species can be observed year-round. The wetland area near the Shetou Bridge is a prime bird-watching spot, with migratory land birds such as the black-faced spoonbill reaching numbers of more than 200 annually.

During the peak season when migratory birds are heading north, you don’t need to travel all the way to the south. Visiting the Shetou Island wetlands gives you the chance to spot black-faced spoonbills and a variety of other bird species up close.

Every autumn, before the onset of winter, migratory birds depart from the northern continents, making stopovers on the islands along the western Pacific, and eventually reach the warmer south. They then return north along the same route in spring. Taiwan is strategically located among these island chains, serving as a crucial stopover for migratory birds.

On the northern side of Shetou Island, between the old and new embankments near the Shetou Bridge, lies a wetland area of approximately 8.3 hectares. Here, a stable population of migratory waterbirds such as the Pacific golden plover, common sandpiper, marsh sandpiper, green sandpiper, little ringed plover, great egret, grey heron, and cattle egret can be observed each year. Additionally, the migratory land bird black-faced spoonbill reaches numbers exceeding 200 annually.