• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
Extent of this site: the northern border is the boundary between Nantou County’s Renai Village and Taichung County’s Heping Village; the southern border is Provincial Highway 14 and north; the eastern border is the boundary between Nantou County’s Renai Village and Hualien County’s Hsiulin Village; and the western border runs along a line formed by Wufanaiwei Mt, N. Hehuan Mt, Meisong Mt., and the Lihsing agricultural road and east. This IBA is completely encompassed in the Ruiyan River Wildlife Major Habitat, which belongs to Forest Compartments 132-135 of the Puli Division under the management of the Nantou Forest District. This site is located at the geographical center of Taiwan; the vegetation diversity is high, and includes native broadleaf forests, mixed broadleaf-coniferous forests, coniferous forests, high-montane scrubs and grasslands, and forest riverine ecosystems. This area is representative of all the mountain vegetation in Taiwan.

Key biodiversity
IBA A2 criterion species: 11 endemic species are commonly seen here: The conservation targets are the 11 endemic species found here including White-eared Sibia, Swinhoe’s Pheasant, Mikado Pheasant, White-throated Hill Partridge, Formosan Laughing Thrush, Formosan Yellow Tit, Formosan Whistling Thrush, Collared Bush Robin, Steere’s Liocichia, Formosan Yuhina and Formosan Barwing. • A total of 95 species has been recorded at this site, among which are the threatened species: Indian Black Eagle and Brown Wood Owl; and the protected species: Asian Crested Goshawk, White-backed Woodpecker, Grey-faced Woodpecker, White-throated Laughing Thrush, Rufous Laughing Thrush, Collared Owlet, Green-backed Tit, Red-headed Tit, Blue Shortwing, Thicket Flycatcher, Vivid Niltava, and Yellow-throated Minivet. In particular, there are stable populations of the large Phasianidae and the Strigidae.

Non-bird biodiversity: • At this site, 747 species of vascular plants in 145 families have been recorded, including fragmented populations of the valuable Taiwan Yew Taxus mairei, Formosan Michelia Michelia formosana and Formosan Red Cypress Chamaecyparis formosensis forests and the rare Brassiopsis formosana and Nengkao Sweet Leaf Symplocos nokoensis. • There are a total of 26 mammal species in 11 families. In March 1999 the first Formosan Tube-nosed Bat Murina puta was discovered overwintering here. Other animals include the Small Chinese Civet Viverricula indica pallida and Formosan Ferret-Badger Melogale moschata subaurantiaca. • Twenty species of reptiles have been recorded including the Formosan salamander Hynobius formosanus, as well as 6 species of amphibians.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ruei-yan, Nantou County (Taiwan, China). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ruei-yan-nantou-county-iba-taiwan-china on 22/11/2024.