Local farmer sets up a Fairy Pitta reserve

Mr. Chang Sun-Chih, a local Huben farmer, along with a number of concerned Huben village residents under the guidance of Fairy Pitta researcher Dr. [Scott] Lin Reuy-shing, have set up a small 1ha Fairy Pitta reserve on Mr.Chang's farm. This is a very positive development. The land area of the reserve remains small but when one considers the high price of land on Taiwan this is a most generous gesture.

The reserve is a small forested area bordering the the village main street less than 200 meters down from the Fairy Pitta Cafe. Fairy Pitta always nest and feed in this area. Two bamboo walls with a special viewing area have been put up under Dr. Lin's direction along the two roadside borders of the forest to keep people out. This forest area is open to Chang's orchards and the forested hillside along the two farmside borders. The 1ha protected core area borders on a fairly large forested hillside which together is a good sized area of valuable pitta habitat.

Taiwan bird enthusiast, Mark Wilkie, explains that the basic idea idea of the reserve is to establish an area where people can come and actually see a Fairy Pitta during the breeding season and can learn about them.

The reserve is a valuable natural area where nesting pitta forage for earthworms, the major food item in their breeding diet. Visitors will be able to watch foraging pitta from the viewing hide. This will help keep visitors away from nesting pitta in the forest that can be disturbed by noisy visitors.

We'll be following this development closely and will post regular updates.



Entrance to the Fairy Pitta viewing area:- photo courtesy of Mark Wilkie


Bamboo roadside wall of the Fairy Pitta reserve:- photo courtesy of Mark Wilkie


Also see:
Fairy Pitta reserve update

Fairy Pitta reserve update: old banded male back on his turf