Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Extent of this site: the northwest border of this site in the Hohsu Creek from where the creek emerges with the sea to the Shazhen Bridge; the southwest border runs along the connecting road to the coastal highway starting from the Shazhen Bridge passing the Neizhen Bridge, No. 1, and No. 2 Hsutsuo Harbor Bridges to the border between Dayuan and Guanyin Village; the southwest border is the administrative border between Dayuan Village and Guanyin Village; the northwest border is the coastline of the Taiwan Strait.
The geographic feature of this area is the sandy type of coast, well-developed watershed, intact rivermouth, intertidal area, marshes, sandbanks, ponds and agricultural lands all together consist of the diversified ecosystem at this area.
In addition to the intertidal areas of the estuary and the wind-protection forests, the area is dominated by watermelon, paddy, and sweet potato fields. Most of these fields are left fallow in the fall and winter. Water is directed into the rest of the area where the soil is turned, or rape is planted. So with the tidal area and wind-protection forests, these fields form a great feeding habitat and roosting area for migrants.
IBA Al criterion species: Chinese Egret.
• Chinese Egret with a maximum of 39 birds in 1996 and a maximum of 72 birds in 1997, making this an important bird area.
• At this site, 206 species have been recorded; during migration, numerous waders stop here. In winter, there can be hundreds of Dunlin and Pacific Golden Plover overwintering here. One Black-faced Spoonbill has been recorded here, as well as other endangered species listed on the Asian Red Data Book like the Japanese Yellow Bunting, Swan Goose, Saunders’s Gull, and Spotted Greenshank.
• Bean Goose is a rare species recorded here in November 1999.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
• The Dayuan Industrial Zone and the Dayuan municipal area are located in the middle and upstream reaches of the Laojie and Hsuang Creeks, and both discharge highly polluted wastewater turning the water of the rivermouth at Hsutsuo Harbor reddish brown.
• Provincial Highway 61 runs in the middle of the habitat most suitable for birds (Dapingding and Neihai).
• The county government is planned to build an incinerator here.
• There is a plan for oil tank construction.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Lobbying activities
• Because the agricultural fields along the coastline areas are mostly fallow during the secondary plantation season, in 2000, the Wild Bird Society of Taoyuan and the Dayuan Township government tried to convince the Taoyuan County Government to create wetlands out of the Dapingding fields and establish a natural ecological park.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dapingding and Hsutsuo Harbor (Taiwan, China). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dapingding-and-hsutsuo-harbor-iba-taiwan-china on 23/11/2024.
