Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Extent of this site: including the central, northwestern, southwestern, and northeastern parts of the Kinmen Island and the perimeter road of Lieyu. This area is divided into the 5 districts, including Taiwushan, Guningtou, Gugang, Mashan, and Lieyu.
The climate is typical continental insular type with annual precipitation of 986.9 mm. Tsihu is located between Huhsia, Nanshan and Hsiputou of Chinning Village. Originally it was an outlet of Hsuangli Lake. Between 1969 and 1970, it was dammed and became a lake. Currently it is the ecological protection area of Kinmen National Park and includes fish ponds, reservoirs, swamps, windbreak forests, and farms to the east of Hsuangli Lake and Tsiti and to the west of Hsiputou. Except for some public lands, leased fields, and private lands, most of the land here belongs to the central government. Tsihu is the main habitat for birds of Kinmen; the Chinese Otter Lutra lutra chinensis is also active here. The diverse ecological environments in the intertidal zone outside the dam and around the lake support many organisms. Taihu located in front of Hsihong Village and east of Hsinshih neighborhood of Chinhu Township is the biggest freshwater reservoir in Kinmen with the area of 36 ha. The small islands in Taihu and Little Taihu, which is close to Kinmen Vocational School, are the main habitats for Great Cormorant. Lingshui Lake is an important bird habitat of Lieyu (or Little Kinmen). Cormorants usually roost in the windbreak forest near the coastal highway and the abandoned fishponds. The best spots for bird-watching are the reeds, woods, farms, fish ponds in the lake and the intertidal zone of the west coast.
IBA A1 criterion species: Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunders’s Gull
• In 1995, a maximum of 16 Black-faced Spoonbills was recorded.
• A maximum of 114 Saunders’s Gulls was recorded in November 1999.
IBA A4i Criterion Species: Great Cormorant.
• The main areas where Great Cormorants usually winter include Tsihu, Taihu and Lingshui Lake. Tsihu are a stable 1,500-3,000 birds. At Taihu and Linshui Lake 50-200 birds are regularly seen.
Date 1997 Oct. 1994 Apr. 1995 Jan. 1995 Dec. 1996 Dec. 1997 Mar. 1998 Jan. 1999 Mar. 1999 Nov. 2000 Feb. 2000 Dec.
No. of GC 296 600 2000 9999 4000 2166 3018 3000 4000 3600 5000
• Of the 275 species of the birds recorded here, 26 are protected. The following species have not been recorded in Taiwan: Magpie Robin, Blue-tailed Bee-Eater, Pied Kingfisher, Black-collared Starling and Hair-crested Drongo.
Non-bird biodiversity: • In addition to the diversified birds and butterflies, the endangered, protected mammal, the Chinese Otter can also be found on the island. Otters can be found in the primary water body in Kingmen, such as lakes, rivers, fish ponds, and natural ponds. The inhabitants also include unique living fossils such as the ancient crustacean Horseshoe Crab Tachyleus tridentatus and lancelets.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
• There is pressure from business groups and land developers, ex. concrete mixing plant.
• Intrusion and excessive development by new fish farmers have caused severe damage to the ecology here.
• The Kinmen County Government is planning to reserve a district for an international casino.
• The ponds and the nearby wetlands have been polluted by the garbage and wastes discarded by stationed troops and residents.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Lobbying activities:
• The 1994 Planning examples of environmentally sensitive areas at the coast of Taiwan considered Tsihu, Lingshui Lake, and the area between Gugang and Shuitou to be ecologically sensitive areas.
Legislation:
• The military role of Kinmen during the Period of Communist Rebellion was removed on 7 November 1992. In 1993, the island was opened to tourism.
• Kinmen National Park was established in October 1995, and it contains some well-preserved cultural resources, such as traditional Southern Fujian-style architecture and ancient shell mounds. This is the first national park established for protecting natural resources as well as historical relics.
• The Hsuangli Nature Center, run by the Kinmen National Park Administration for educational purposes, was opened on 15 October 2000.
PA
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kinmen National Park (Taiwan, China). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kinmen-national-park-iba-taiwan-china on 23/12/2024.
