Mai Po Logo: Pied Kingfisher |
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First record of Black-winged Stilts breeding
in Hong Kong
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In Spring this
year, there was constantly a small flock of some 20 - 30 Black-winged
Stilts Himantopus himantopus around the small islands
near the sluice gate end of gei wai 23 at Mai Po Nature
Reserve. |
| Black-winged Stilt nest at Mai Po |
Black-winged Stilt nest with four eggs |
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In late April, Paul Leader, a birdwatcher at
Mai Po, found a small number of adults sitting on nests on those islands.
A search of those islands was made at the end of May and seven Black-winged
nests were found. Since then, the chicks have hatched and a group of
around five chicks can often be seen around the reserve with their
parents. Two of the chicks were caught and were marked with an individually
numbered metal rings to study their movements.
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| Black-winged Stilt chick being ringed |
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Black-winged Stilt chick |
Adult Black-winged Stilt |
In Hong Kong, Black-winged Stilts are commonly
recorded from autumn to spring and prior to this summer they have only
rarely been recorded in summer. In China, Black-winged Stilts breed
north of the Yangtse River but there have been records of them breeding
in Taiwan since 1986.
The unusually large numbers of Black-winged
Stilts (let alone the first confirmed successful breeding attempt)
at Mai Po this year, is thought to be due to the creation of a number
of rain-fed freshwater habitats in recent years, and which the birds
appear to prefer. This unexpected but welcome addition to the bird
community of Hong Kong illustrates the importance of proactive management
of areas such as Mai Po.
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