Tainan Young Birder Blog

The Little Forktail is a small black and white bird seen mostly in montane rivers and streams. Its head, back, and wings are black, while the most obvious characteristic is the high and white forehead. It mainly feeds on insect larvae and other small insects. It prefers fast-flowing streams and is often seen near waterfalls. When I started birding, I always wanted to see the Little Forktail and I pestered my father to bring me to places where it had been reported before. After getting skunked time and time again, the agonizing wait continued. Finally, last year when the whole family went for our yearly New Year’s trip to Ali Village, I finally saw it. One morning, when my dad and I were returning from our usual morning birding stroll, as I was looking far off into space, my dad’s excited shout pulled me back to reality. There on a little waterfall were two cute black and white birds jumping around. I knew immediately what they were, Little Forktails. I had finally seen them where I lea...

The Tainan Wild Bird Society, of which I am a member, is in charge of the Bird Ecological Center in the Taijiang National Park in the Sicao area of Tainan. It was originally an office for administrators of the salt industry and was built during the Japanese Occupation. The Anshun Salt Fields are a big attraction in Taijiang and the beautiful scenery brings tourists from around the island. Harvesting salt was a major industry in Tainan throughout the Japanese and KMT periods, and only ended in the last forty years or so. After the harvesting stopped, the Wild Bird Society decided to preserve the building and use it as a resource for the public to learn more about birds and the larger ecology of the Taijiang area. When I volunteer there, my work is mainly focused on introducing the large array of bird specimens and a cool display of local seeds and fruits. I take visitors around the specimen room and give a broad introduction of the birds on display and some interesting facts about them....