Two Rehabilitated Black-faced Spoonbills Return to Taiwan for Third Consecutive Year After Release in Tainan

(Central News Agency, Yang Si-rui, Tainan, 7th) The Tainan Ecological Conservation Society, in conjunction with the Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Season activities, launched a search for injured and rehabilitated individuals released during the tenure of Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che. Birdwatchers have photographed individuals numbered N44 and N49 returning to Taiwan for three consecutive years, showcasing their excellent adaptability and habitat fidelity.

The Tainan Ecological Conservation Society held its 2026 (115th year of the Republic of China) Annual Ecological Conference today, awarding a prize to Chiayi birdwatcher Zheng Zong-da for locating the rehabilitated black-faced spoonbills released under Mayor Huang. The society also recognized the efforts of its chairman, Qiu Ren-wu, in promoting ecological conservation work and organizing a series of events for the Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Season during his tenure.

Qiu Ren-wu stated that the Tainan Ecological Conservation Society and the Tainan City Government have been promoting black-faced spoonbill conservation, with the results of rescue and release efforts becoming increasingly evident in recent years. The society initiates a search for rehabilitated black-faced spoonbills released under Mayor Huang during the annual Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Season. The released individuals N44 and N49 have returned to Taiwan for three consecutive years and have been spotted multiple times in the same areas.

Zhu Jian-ming, Section Chief of the Forest and Nature Conservation Division of the Tainan City Government's Agriculture Bureau, explained that black-faced spoonbill N44 was released by Mayor Huang at the Qigu Dingshan Birdwatching Pavilion on December 28, 2022, and N49 was released at the Xuejia Wetland Ecological Park on January 19, 2023. Both spoonbills successfully integrated into the wild population after release and have been observed and recorded by birdwatchers returning to Taiwan for three consecutive years in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Qiu Ren-wu noted that the black-faced spoonbill is an internationally concerned protected species, and wetlands in Tainan's Xuejia and Qigu areas are important wintering habitats. Through diverse measures such as rescue and habitat maintenance, the overall stability of the population is gradually improving. The stable return of N44 and N49 to Taiwan for three consecutive years not only confirms the success of the release strategy but also demonstrates a successful link between human rescue efforts and natural migration patterns. (Editor: Chen Ren-hua)