By Wei Ruyu, Reporting
Already in its 20th consecutive year and the largest eagle-watching event in Taiwan: the 2012 “Perfect Eagle Soaring Over Bagua – Eagle Watching Carnival” will take place on Saturday, March 24, and Sunday, March 25, along Wuling Road in Changhua City; on March 24, there will also be a grand opening ceremony for the “Street Parade Carnival”; participants in the “Eagle Watching Online Essay Competition” may also win prizes including tablets and more.
Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan (third from left) leads representatives from the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Shan-Shan National Scenic Area Administration, the Changhua Bird Society, and the Republic of China Wild Bird Federation to jointly announce the 2012 “Perfect Eagle Soaring Over Bagua – Eagle Watching Carnival” event. (Photo by Wei Ruyu, SpotTown)
Every year from March to April is the season when Grey-faced Buzzards migrate over the Bagua Mountain Scenic Area in Changhua. To promote conservation awareness and allow the public to witness this natural spectacle, the “Eagles Soaring Over Bagua” eagle-watching event hosted by Changhua County Government has become an annual ecological highlight in Taiwan. Changhua County Magistrate Cho Po-yuan stated: “Over 7,000 Grey-faced Buzzards have migrated through in the past two days, and the number is expected to exceed tens of thousands in the coming days. We welcome all people across Taiwan to seize the opportunity to come to Changhua and witness this precious sight!”
The eagle-watching event also spreads conservation awareness, reminding the public to give the Grey-faced Buzzards a safe path home and never to harm them indiscriminately. (Photo by Wei Ruyu, SpotTown)
On the opening day of the event, March 24, famous school marching bands and color guards from various counties and cities, major conservation organizations nationwide, and over 1,000 participants from schools at all levels within the county will dress up and join the street parade; the parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. from Changhua Railway Station and proceed along key roads in Changhua City, including Guangfu Road, Minsheng Road, Kongmen Road, Guashan Road, and Park Road, ending at the Changhua Living Aesthetics Museum.
The parade will also feature 11 large mascot puppets standing 4 meters tall, including Grey-faced Buzzards, Crested Serpent Eagles, and Common Monarchs, walking alongside the marchers; internationally renowned eco-paper-cutting artist Master Wang Zhenwen has even designed Grey-faced Buzzard-shaped hats for participants of the carnival parade.
As for the best times to watch eagles, different scenes unfold from morning till evening: at dawn, flocks of eagles spiral upward with thermal currents, forming spectacular “eagle columns”; at noon, the eagles near Bagua Mountain often align in straight lines; by dusk, they circle the skies searching for suitable perching trees. The organizers will arrange free shuttle buses every 10–15 minutes from Changhua Station to the Wuling land-based “Eagle Watching Platform” on March 24, and provide ecological guided tours. For details, please visit the event’s official website at www.eagle.org.tw or call the Changhua Bird Society at 04-7110306.
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