Yellow Fish Owl Builds Aerial Nursery, Night King's Chick Rearing Live Stream Full Record
Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology discovered a pair of yellow fish owls raising two chicks in their nest. To allow the public to observe the 'Night King's' ecology up close, a 24-hour live stream is provided to witness the precious chick-rearing process.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 12:44
- 🔍 Collected: April 29, 2026 at 13:01 (17 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 29, 2026 at 13:11 (9 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Guan Ruiping, Miaoli County, 29th) Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters, in collaboration with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, utilized satellite positioning tracking to discover a pair of yellow fish owls raising two chicks in their nest. To allow the public to observe the ecology of the yellow fish owl, known as the 'Night King,' up close, a 24-hour live stream is being provided to witness the precious chick-rearing process with the public.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters pointed out that the yellow fish owl is a rare and precious Class II protected bird species, and also the largest owl in Taiwan that primarily feeds on fish and amphibians. It is at the top of the stream food chain, with extremely scarce numbers and secretive behavior. Long-term monitoring has recorded its activities in the Qijiawan Stream area of Shei-Pa National Park, setting the highest known altitude breeding record in Taiwan at approximately 1800 meters.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters commissioned Professor Hong Xiaoyu's team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to continue their research. Through setting up riparian perches to observe the population, a male bird was fitted with a satellite transmitter in December 2025. After several months of tracking, breeding signs were discovered in March this year, and its location was successfully pinpointed on April 10th. The yellow fish owl built its nest in an old Machilus zuihoensis tree with a breast height diameter of about 1.5 meters. The hollow core of the tree formed a natural凹槽 at the base of a Y-shaped fork, with accumulated humus and epiphytic ferns inside, resembling a safe and stable "aerial nursery."
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters stated that a live tree nest site is quite rare in the Wuling area, completely different from previous records of nests in hollow dead trees. The nest tree grows on a steep slope, about 20 meters above the ground, with a drop of over 100 meters from the streambed. Professor Hong's team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology completed the survey with the assistance of professional tree climbers, confirming the condition of the two chicks. The larger one weighed 1212 grams, approximately 40 days old, and the smaller one 899 grams, approximately 30 days old.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters noted that, based on an estimated 60-day brooding period, the larger chick is expected to fledge around mid-May. Through surveillance footage, Professor Hong's team further confirmed that the mother bird was an individual banded by Hong Xiaoyu during his doctoral studies in 2016. At that time, it was still a young individual, and its reappearance after 10 years and successful breeding not only indicates the yellow fish owl's long lifespan but also confirms its high fidelity and dependence on its habitat.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters emphasized that Qijiawan Stream is also an important habitat for Taiwan's national treasure fish, the "Formosan landlocked salmon." Over the years, with the efforts of the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters and related agencies, the population has steadily recovered and successfully expanded to multiple tributaries of the Dajia River. Research shows that the yellow fish owl's diet includes Formosan landlocked salmon, Varicorhinus alticorpus, and Bufo gargarizans. Their predation on Formosan landlocked salmon is a concrete manifestation of the natural food chain's operation and also symbolizes the health and completeness of the Qijiawan Stream ecosystem.
Taking advantage of this field observation, the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters launched a "Yellow Fish Owl Chick Rearing Live Stream" link: https://www.youtube.com/@NPUSTBirdEcologyLab/live, providing 24-hour online broadcast of the chicks' growth process. If the public has questions about chick-rearing behavior, they can also leave comments on YouTube, and Professor Hong's professional team will interact and explain in real-time, allowing the public to deeply understand the real lives of wild animals and further recognize the preciousness and fragility of stream ecosystems. (Editor: Lin Shuhui) 1150429
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(Central News Agency reporter Guan Ruiping, Miaoli County, 29th) Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters, in collaboration with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, utilized satellite positioning tracking to discover a pair of yellow fish owls raising two chicks in their nest. To allow the public to observe the ecology of the yellow fish owl, known as the 'Night King,' up close, a 24-hour live stream is being provided to witness the precious chick-rearing process with the public.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters pointed out that the yellow fish owl is a rare and precious Class II protected bird species, and also the largest owl in Taiwan that primarily feeds on fish and amphibians. It is at the top of the stream food chain, with extremely scarce numbers and secretive behavior. Long-term monitoring has recorded its activities in the Qijiawan Stream area of Shei-Pa National Park, setting the highest known altitude breeding record in Taiwan at approximately 1800 meters.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters commissioned Professor Hong Xiaoyu's team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to continue their research. Through setting up riparian perches to observe the population, a male bird was fitted with a satellite transmitter in December 2025. After several months of tracking, breeding signs were discovered in March this year, and its location was successfully pinpointed on April 10th. The yellow fish owl built its nest in an old Machilus zuihoensis tree with a breast height diameter of about 1.5 meters. The hollow core of the tree formed a natural凹槽 at the base of a Y-shaped fork, with accumulated humus and epiphytic ferns inside, resembling a safe and stable "aerial nursery."
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters stated that a live tree nest site is quite rare in the Wuling area, completely different from previous records of nests in hollow dead trees. The nest tree grows on a steep slope, about 20 meters above the ground, with a drop of over 100 meters from the streambed. Professor Hong's team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology completed the survey with the assistance of professional tree climbers, confirming the condition of the two chicks. The larger one weighed 1212 grams, approximately 40 days old, and the smaller one 899 grams, approximately 30 days old.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters noted that, based on an estimated 60-day brooding period, the larger chick is expected to fledge around mid-May. Through surveillance footage, Professor Hong's team further confirmed that the mother bird was an individual banded by Hong Xiaoyu during his doctoral studies in 2016. At that time, it was still a young individual, and its reappearance after 10 years and successful breeding not only indicates the yellow fish owl's long lifespan but also confirms its high fidelity and dependence on its habitat.
The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters emphasized that Qijiawan Stream is also an important habitat for Taiwan's national treasure fish, the "Formosan landlocked salmon." Over the years, with the efforts of the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters and related agencies, the population has steadily recovered and successfully expanded to multiple tributaries of the Dajia River. Research shows that the yellow fish owl's diet includes Formosan landlocked salmon, Varicorhinus alticorpus, and Bufo gargarizans. Their predation on Formosan landlocked salmon is a concrete manifestation of the natural food chain's operation and also symbolizes the health and completeness of the Qijiawan Stream ecosystem.
Taking advantage of this field observation, the Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters launched a "Yellow Fish Owl Chick Rearing Live Stream" link: https://www.youtube.com/@NPUSTBirdEcologyLab/live, providing 24-hour online broadcast of the chicks' growth process. If the public has questions about chick-rearing behavior, they can also leave comments on YouTube, and Professor Hong's professional team will interact and explain in real-time, allowing the public to deeply understand the real lives of wild animals and further recognize the preciousness and fragility of stream ecosystems. (Editor: Lin Shuhui) 1150429
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you make is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.