Registration now open for bird-watching tours to Guishan Island and Penghu Islands

Text by Wei Ruyi, compiled and reported

To help the public learn about the seabirds of offshore islands, the Taipei Wild Bird Society has organized the “Guishan Island Seabird Soaring Tour” on May 3 and the “Penghu Seagull Watching & Cultural-Natural Experience” from June 23–25. Registration is now open, and interested individuals are encouraged to seize the opportunity.

Guishan Island has long been a landmark of the Lanyang Plain and is regarded as a spiritual guardian of the region. Designated as a military restricted zone for over 20 years, the island was finally opened to the public for tourism in August 2000. With most of its areas undisturbed for a long time, the island boasts rich and diverse ecosystems, earning it the reputation of a “marine nature park.” The famous Guishan scenery also amazes people with the wonders of nature.

Located in the middle of the Taiwan Strait, the Penghu Archipelago serves as a stopover for migratory birds traveling between north and south. Every summer, when the sardine bloom peaks, terns flock “following the fish” and choose the relatively undisturbed uninhabited islands of Penghu to breed. The main species of terns that arrive in Penghu to breed in the summer include six types: little tern, bridled tern, bridled tern, sooty tern, roseate tern, and greater crested tern. These migratory birds use Penghu as their largest breeding ground. For Penghu, this is considered the greatest gift bestowed upon it.

The “Guishan Island Seabird Soaring Tour” is priced at NT$1,550 for members and NT$1,800 for non-members (day trip with round-trip transport, boat fare, and insurance included; bring your own light meal). The “Penghu Seagull Watching & Cultural-Natural Experience” is priced at NT$10,500 for members and NT$11,800 for non-members (includes round-trip flights between Taiwan and Penghu, local transportation, inter-island boat fare, insurance, 2 nights hotel stay, and 7 meals). For more details, please contact the Taipei Wild Bird Society at www.wbst.org.tw or call 02-2325-9190.

● Read more: In Search of the Mythical Bird of Matsu

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