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Site description (2001 baseline):

Extent of this site: The northern border is the Tsengwen River; the southern border is the Yanshui River; the eastern border is the Tainan Science- based Industrial Park and Haidian Road; the western border is the coastline excluding the three communities of Luer, Sitsao, and Beiliao. This area includes the Sitsao Wildlife Refuge. Sitsao is situated northwest of Tainan City at a distance of about 10 km from the city center. The site can be reached by Provincial Highway 17. This area is consisted of tidal flats which rose after the Taichiang Inner Sea was blocked by silt, and for many years, it has been an important stop for passage migrants and winter visitors. In early times, extensive salt fields and aquaculture ponds were established here. Currently a portion of the salt fields and ponds has been designated as a wildlife refuge. In addition, there are also cultural and historical sites here such as an old wae field, the Sitsao Cannon Fort, the remnant of the Tax Bureau, and the Dachong Temple. Furthermore, it is the first place designated as a reserve, Black-winged Stilt Reserve, for the preservation of one species. According to the IUCN Asian Wetland Investigation Report, Sitsao is considered to be of international importance, and is one of the 12 largest wetlands in Taiwan. Sitsao Wetlands has been called one of Taiwan’s four biggest wetlands.

IBA A1 criterion species: Black-faced Spoonbill Year 1987 May 1995 Feb. 1996 Mar. 1997 Apr. 1998 Apr. 1999 Feb. 2000 Mar. 2001 Mar. No. of BFS 8 230 193 48 63 231 75 118 • In 1893 at Sitsao and even the area of Anping, “white birds” were recorded, it is suspected that the white birds were Black-faced Spoonbills. Afterwards, in 1987, birders in Tainan, working with the Council of Agriculture to carry out the East Asian Waterbird Banding Five-year Pioneer Plan, discovered 20 to 30 Black-faced Spoonbills feeding at Sitsao. They have continued to be seen annually. It is believed that they are from the Tsengwen River Estuary. IBA A4i criterion species: Black-winged Stilt • The breeding population of the Black-winged Stilt at this site is the largest Stilt group in Taiwan. Year 1992 Oct. 1994 Mar. 1995 Jan. 1996 Oct. 1997 Nov. 1998 Dec. 1999 Dec. 2000 Sept. No. of BWS 1450 80 226 150 675 100 40 120 • At this site, 171 species have been seen, among which are the protected species: Chinese Egret, Oriental White Stork, Black Stork, Black-faced Spoonbill, White Spoonbill, Oriental Ibis, Tundra Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, Baikal Teal, Besra Sparrow Hawk, Grey-faced Buzzard Eagle, Grey Frog Hawk, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Common Kestrel, Spotted Greenshank, Black-winged Stilt, Common Tern, Little Tern, Short-eared Owl, Black-billed Magpie, and Brown Shrike.

Non-bird biodiversity: • At Sikunshen there is a stand of dense mangroves, predominantly of mixed Four-petaled mangrove Rhizophora mucronata and Black Mangrove Avicennia marina. Under the ironwood Casuarina equisetifolia windbreak forests, there are about 2,000 plants of the mangrove Lumnitzera Lumnitcera racemosa, this being the largest stand of this species in Taiwan. There are currently four species of mangroves which survive at the mangrove reserve at Sitsao’s Dachong Temple. • There are ten species of the fiddler crabs recorded at the Yenshui River estuary.

• At this site, the areas of the reserve consist of public land, public river channels, and privately held fishponds. Currently the owners of the fishponds are asking the government to remove the refuge. • In addition, in 1996, initiation of the development of the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park caused the area of the Sitsao wetlands to shrink, also cutting and fragmentizing bird habitats. • Illegal occupation and reclamation of the lands, and stealthily dumping trash have resulted in the destruction of the original ecosystem. • The water gates of the canals in the reserve areas must be regularly guarded to maintain the water content of the wetlands. • Floods and predation by natural enemies are the primary reasons caused the low rate of successful breeding of the Kentish Plover and Black-winged Stilt. • The north-south Coastal Highway is to pass through the heart of this IBA.

Lobbying activities: • On 23 November 2000, a conference discussing the administration and management of the Sitsao Wildlife Refuge was held. Legislation: • In November 1994, the Tainan City Government announced the 515.1 ha Sitsao Wildlife Refuge. Important conservation targets are the precious wetland environment, and bird habitats. There is a specially designated Black-winged Stilt Breeding Reserve. • On 1l November 1998, a meeting was held on collection information concerning privately owned land in the Nanliao community within the wildlife refuge. • In June 1999, 38 parcels of land in the Sitsao section from nos. 82 to 118 were completed, for a total area of 0.444583 ha.

(PA)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sitsao Wildlife Refuge (Taiwan, China). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sitsao-wildlife-refuge-iba-taiwan-china on 25/12/2024.