The new assault on Huben

Former gravel extraction site just outside Huben Village on the road to Hushan.


Once again, more destruction looms on the horizon for Huben and its Fairy Pitta. It has been learned that government, private, and elected officials are advocating development of riparian engineering projects and gravel extraction and working to lift the restrictions on these within the Huben area. The Chinese Wild Bird Federation, Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association, Taiwan Academy of Ecology, & Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan jointly issued a statement yesterday. Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association forwarded the statement to us. We'll be following developments closely and will post updates to keep you up to speed on this very worrying development.



Statement in Support of Government Conservation Policies to Protect Important Habitat for the Fairy Pitta

25 May 2009

In 1999 it was formally verified that the Huben area of Yunlin County is a vitally important breeding area for the Fairy Pitta (Pitta nympha) with the area having the highest nesting density in the world for this rare species. However, the ongoing activities of gravel extraction and the construction of the Hushan Reservoir have resulted in the sharp decline of the Fairy Pitta and many other endangered plant and animal species due to habitat fragmentation and destruction. Another major blow to the wildlife in the area began in 2000 as a result of government policies which resulted in unnecessary engineering projects that included cementing the banks of wild rivers and several other similarly destructive projects. The combination of these factors has pushed this area to the brink of disaster from the perspective of being an important breeding area for the Fairy Pitta.

Responding to these threats, a number of concerned civic groups worked for the drafting of a prohibition on gravel extraction in designated areas that took effect in 2006 to prevent further degradation; in 2007 the sixth session of the Taiwan parliament’s economic and energy affairs committee made a resolution that development projects destroying the environment should be prohibited and in 2008 part of the Huben area (Alishan Forest Region sectors 61-70 totaling 1,737.386 hectares) was formally declared an important wildlife habitat.

However, in May 2009, right at the time when the Fairy Pittas are nesting, it has been learned that government, private, and elected officials are advocating development of riparian engineering projects and gravel extraction and working to lift the restrictions. Environmental groups throughout the country are astounded that there would even be consideration of such a move. Not only has the area come to the attention of the international conservation community, but over 100 domestic conservation groups have strived to obtain formal legal designation of the habitat.

We thus voice our support for and call on the government to firmly abide by its commitments to continue unabated in its efforts to conserve this important habitat of the Fairy Pitta.

Chinese Wild Bird Federation
Charles Cheng, Chairperson
Taiwan Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association
Robin Winkler, Chairperson
Taiwan Academy of Ecology
Chung Ting-mao, Chairperson
Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan
Lee Keng-cheng, Secretary General


支持政府保育措施 維護八色鳥重要棲息環境 聲明稿

2009-05-25

1999年位在雲林湖本地區因為發現有全世界密度最高的稀有八色鳥族群在此繁延和棲息，但在同時間，先後遭遇陸砂開採與湖山水庫開發案，棲地破壞的結果造成八色鳥與其他重要動植物數量銳減與消失，加上2000年以來陸陸續續在棲息地中進行不必要的野溪整治工程，將整個棲息環境的核心區破壞殆盡。因此，首先，在多個NGO團體的關心下，於2006年先行規劃出「土石禁採區」，以遏制不當開採造成棲地之破壞與損失；其次，2007年11月22日於立法院第六屆第六會期經濟與能源委員會議中作成決議，未來對於有破壞環境的開發應該嚴禁，並於2008年公告阿里山事業林區第61-70林班地(面積1,737.386公頃)劃設為野生動物重要棲息環境。

然而，在2009年八色鳥正在繁殖的季節-現在，卻又傳出八色鳥重要棲息環境要進行野溪整治及土石禁採區將考慮開放陸砂開採的訊息，令各地的環境保育組織相當錯愕。因為該土石禁採區及野生動物重要棲息環境不僅是全世界矚目的焦點，也是國內超過一百個保育團體共同努力下保存下來的重要棲息環境，依法不應該有任何重大開發行為發生。準此，我們，強烈支持政府主管保育當局堅持保育立場，維護該區自然棲地之完整性，並為維護野生動物重要棲息環境的目標而努力。

中華民國野鳥學會 理事長 程建中
蠻野心足生態學會 理事長 文魯彬
台灣生態學會 理事長 鐘丁茂
地球公民協會執行長 李根政

The statement was issued in Chinese so in any differences between the English and Chinese versions the Chinese version takes precedence.

Fairy Pitta reserve update: old banded male back on his turf

The male Fairy Pitta that has nested around the present reserve site for several years and was originally banded in 2002 is back on his old turf again this year and has been observed by researchers and birders from the reserve viewing area. It's wonderful to see this well-known pitta back in Huben again this year.


Also see:
Local farmer sets up a Fairy Pitta reserve

Fairy Pitta reserve update

Fairy Pitta reserve update

Newly erected signage at the reserve viewing area entrance:- photo courtesy of Mark Wilkie


The little Fairy Pitta reserve set up by a local farmer and concerned residents has its first pair of Fairy Pitta. A pair of pitta are frequenting the hillside just behind the viewing area. Also, common bird identification charts have been put up along with rules for the viewing area. We'll continue to update this story as the reserve develops.

Also see:
Local farmer sets up a Fairy Pitta reserve

Fairy Pitta reserve update: old banded male back on his turf

Earth Day

A very happy Earth Day. What did you do for the earth today?

Local farmer sets up a Fairy Pitta reserve

Mr. Chang Sun-Chih, a local Huben farmer, along with a number of concerned Huben village residents under the guidance of Fairy Pitta researcher Dr. [Scott] Lin Reuy-shing, have set up a small 1ha Fairy Pitta reserve on Mr.Chang's farm. This is a very positive development. The land area of the reserve remains small but when one considers the high price of land on Taiwan this is a most generous gesture.

The reserve is a small forested area bordering the the village main street less than 200 meters down from the Fairy Pitta Cafe. Fairy Pitta always nest and feed in this area. Two bamboo walls with a special viewing area have been put up under Dr. Lin's direction along the two roadside borders of the forest to keep people out. This forest area is open to Chang's orchards and the forested hillside along the two farmside borders. The 1ha protected core area borders on a fairly large forested hillside which together is a good sized area of valuable pitta habitat.

Taiwan bird enthusiast, Mark Wilkie, explains that the basic idea idea of the reserve is to establish an area where people can come and actually see a Fairy Pitta during the breeding season and can learn about them.

The reserve is a valuable natural area where nesting pitta forage for earthworms, the major food item in their breeding diet. Visitors will be able to watch foraging pitta from the viewing hide. This will help keep visitors away from nesting pitta in the forest that can be disturbed by noisy visitors.

We'll be following this development closely and will post regular updates.



Entrance to the Fairy Pitta viewing area:- photo courtesy of Mark Wilkie


Bamboo roadside wall of the Fairy Pitta reserve:- photo courtesy of Mark Wilkie


Also see:
Fairy Pitta reserve update

Fairy Pitta reserve update: old banded male back on his turf

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

The charges brought by the Taipei City Government against the environmental activists arrested over the recent Songshan protests have been dismissed by the prosecutor. A decision not to indict was received on Friday. This is yet another example of Taipei City Government and police folly. Environmental groups also brought an action against the Environmental Protection Administration similar to the one filed against them on the Hushan Reservoir.

See:
Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

More on the Songshan Tree issue

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Rare Maroon Orioles spotted

A rare male Maroon Oriole (Oriolus trailli ardens) photographed on Sunday 12 April 2009 in the Huben/Hushan forest. The beautiful red-listed Maroon Oriole is one of the endangered residents of the area that will be displaced by the Hushan Dam.


The endemic subspecies of Maroon Oriole (Oriolus trailli ardens) is listed on the IUCN Red List as Endangered. The Taiwan endemic subspecies, race ardens, was discovered by Victorian naturalist Robert Swinhoe in 1862. Taiwan's Maroon Oriole population is between 200-500 individuals according to the Guide to Threatened Birds of Taiwan (Fang 2005). Maroon Oriole are a rare resident in the Huben/Hushan area. A pair was seen on Sunday April 12 in remaining forest close to an area that will be flooded by the Hushan Dam when it is complete. Taiwan's Maroon Oriole population is declining through habitat loss.