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

Site description (2003 baseline)
Hong Kong locates in the transition zone between the Oriental and Palaearctic region. Hong Kong is part of the South China Mountains which extend from East Yunnan, through Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, to Fujian and Zhejiang in China. The South China Mountains is an important bird region in its own because of its rich and specialized avifauna. The western part of the South China Mountains extends naturally onto the Southeast Chinese Mountains region that includes the hills and mountains of most of the south-east Asia. There, the vegetation is mostly subtropical hill evergreen forest. both areas have attracted substantial research and conservation interests because of its rich biodiversity. They are also relatively unknown because the general shortage of comprehensive and long-term monitoring. The South and Southeast Chinese Mountains also extends to the Sino-Himalayan region. The proposed IBA shares similar characteristics in terms of the bird species in this biome range. The forests in Hong Kong are also important sites for studying migrating bird species such as Passerines and Raptor. The proposed IBA locates in central New Territories of Hong Kong. It comprises a variety of habitats, including hill evergreen forest, secondary scrubland, wooded grassland, secondary grassland, etc. The names of the protected areas in the proposed IBA include (1) Tai Mo Shan Country Park, (2) Shing Mun Country Park, (A) Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, (B) Ng Tung Chai Special Area, (C) Tai Mo Shan Montane Scrub Forest Special Area, (D) Shing Mun Fung Shui Woodland Special Area, (I) Ng Tung Chai Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), (II) Tai Mo Shan SSSI and (III) Tai Mo Shan Montane Scrub Forest SSSI. This area covers 3315 ha which comprises approximately 41.3% hill evergreen forest and 22.7% secondary scrubland and 32.5% secondary grassland and wooded grassland. The area is managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for nature conservation, public education, scientific research and recreation purposes.Most of the forest areas in Hong Kong have regenerated after the Second World War in 1945. Part of the proposed IBA that is within the Country Park is managed by AFCD and so has high level of protection against development. The forest within this area has gradually matured and attracted forest bird species of this biome range. This includes cuckoo-shrikes, sunbirds, babblers, etc. New and re-colonization by forest species are apparent since long-term monitoring begins about 50 years ago. Before of the heavy bird trade in the region, colonization by released population of captive origin are also present. Most of them represent a re-introduction of the bird species that was probably present in the past. Hong Kong has a long history of collecting field record on bird species. The data submitted in this proposal are accurate and scientific. As a representative site of the South China Mountains, the proposed IBA will continue to be important for scientific research and long-term monitoring of the whole region.

Key biodiversity
Species of Conservation Concern Recorded in the proposed IBA- Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha (Location: Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong Protection: Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong, China Red Data Book: Rare)- Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus (Location: Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong Protection: Wild Animals -Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong, China Red Data Book: Rare)- Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis(Location: Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong Protection: Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong, China Red Data Book: Vulnerable)- Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis (Location: Tai Mo Shan and Shing Mun, Hong Kong Protection: Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong, China Red Data Book: Vulnerable)- Crested Serpent Eagle Spiornis cheela (Location: Tai Mo Shan and Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong Protection: Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong, China Red Data Book: Vulnerable)(Source: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the University of Hong Kong)Conservation action takenThe Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Cap. 170, prohibits hunting or possession of protected animals (including all wild birds) in Hong Kong. The ordinance is enforced by AFCD. Publicity programmes have been carried out to promote public awareness of the need for the nature conservation (including the protection of wild birds). The Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance requires proponents of designated projects to avoid causing environmental impact as far as practicable. If total avoidance is not practicable, the project proponents are required to mitigate the adverse impact to an acceptable level, or compensate for the impact caused.

Non-bird biodiversity: Tai Po KauAmphibians- Giant Spiny Frog Rana spinosa *(China Red Data Book: rare)Reptiles- Three-baned Box Terrapin Cuora trifasciata* (China Red Data Book: rare; IUCN: critically endangered)- Reeves' Terrapin Chinemys revesii *(China Red Data Book: Conservation dependent; IUCN:Endangered)- Big-headed terrapin Platysternon megacephalum *(China Red Data Book: endangered; IUCN: endangered)- Chinese Cobra Naja atra *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable)- Burmese Python Python molurus *(China Red Data Book: Critically Endangered)Freshwater fish- Predaceous chub Parazacco spilurus* (China Red Data Book: vulnerable) Mammals- Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable; IUCN: near threatened)- Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla* (China Red Data Book: vulnerable; IUCN: near threatened)- Chinese Porcupine Hystrix brachyura *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable)DragonfliesMelligomphus moluami (Endemic Hongkong)Tai Mo ShanAmphibians- Giant Spiny Frog Rana spinosa *(China Red Data Book: rare)Reptiles- Big-headed terrapin Platysternon megacephalum *(China Red Data Book: endangered; IUCN: endangered)- Common Rat Snake Ptyas mucosus (China Red Data Book: endangered)- Many-banded Krait Bungarus multicinctus multicinctus (China Red Data Book: vulnerable)Freshwater fish- Predaceous chub Parazacco spilurus Mammals- Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable; IUCN: near threatened)- Chinese Porcupine Hystrix brachyura *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable)Shing MunRetiles- Reeves' Terrapin Chinemys revesii* (China Red Data Book: conservation dependent; IUCN: endangered)- Big-headed terrapin Platysternon megacephalum *(China Red Data Book: endangered; IUCN: endangered)Freshwater fish- Predaceous chub Parazacco spilurus Mammals- Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable; IUCN: near threatened)- Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla* (China Red Data Book: vulnerable; IUCN: near threatened)- Chinese Porcupine Hystrix brachyura *(China Red Data Book: vulnerable)Note: * Wild Animals Protection Ordinance, Chapter 170 of the Laws of Hong Kong(Source: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the University of Hong Kong)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tai Po Kau, Shing Mun and Tai Mo Shan area (Hong Kong (China)). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tai-po-kau-shing-mun-and-tai-mo-shan-area-iba-hong-kong-(china) on 23/12/2024.