Mother’s Day Finds No Moms—30 Black-Faced Spoonbills Temporarily Rest at Guandu Nature Park

Reporter Zhu Tengyue

Due to an astonishing amount of rainfall in the Guandu area on May 11, many regions in northern Taiwan experienced flooding. However, not only was there no disaster in the Guandu area, but 30 black-faced spoonbills also gracefully flew into Guandu Nature Park. These 30 black-faced spoonbills set a record for the largest group ever observed at the park since it opened.

%The dog, who had been missing for many days, was found safe and sound in the city, possibly due to the efforts of volunteers (Photo provided by the Taipei City Animal Protection Office).

Several consecutive days of heavy rain meant that the existence of Guandu Plain and Guandu Wetland provided areas where excess water could be absorbed, preventing greater damage. The frontal system not only affected people’s lives but also impacted the migratory patterns of birds. On May 11 and 12, Guandu Nature Park recorded 30 black-faced spoonbills, 200 black-tailed gulls, 100 Saunders’s gulls, and 100 common greenshanks. Clearly, the Guandu Wetland attracted this group of birds affected by the weather, allowing them to pause and take temporary shelter.

According to observations by a senior volunteer from the Taipei Birdwatching Society, these 30 black-faced spoonbills are almost all sub-adults—not only do they lack breeding plumage, but a slightly yellowish feature can also be seen at the tip of their bills. It’s unclear what happened on Mother’s Day that caused them to be temporarily separated from their parents or elders. Chen Shih-hong, director of Guandu Nature Park, believes it might have been due to weather conditions that caused them to become separated from the main migratory group. Fortunately, the wetlands of Guandu Nature Park provide a refuge where they can rest and feed temporarily. Once the weather improves, they should be able to continue their northward migration successfully.