Black-faced spoonbill record high: 4,719 counted in 2026 census
When I saw the Wild Bird Society of Taiwan's 2026 black-faced spoonbill census results, published in April, I thought it was rare good news. Taiwan recorded 4,719 birds, a new historic high, up 550 from last year, a 13.2% increase. That is the largest single-year growth of any wintering site. The global total is 7,746, up 11.1% from 2025, and Taiwan holds roughly 61% of it, making the island the species' most important wintering ground.
The other wintering counts are: China 1,849, Japan 757, Hong Kong and Shenzhen's Houhai Bay 291, Vietnam 72, South Korea 39, Macau 12, and the Philippines 7. Within Taiwan, Tainan City still hosts the most birds with 2,034, though its share fell. Chiayi County, with 1,515, showed the sharpest rise, also a record. The Zhuoshui River estuary, on the Changhua–Yunlin border, had 465, and Yilan County 53, both above previous records. Birds were recorded in 15 counties and cities, a wider spread that suggests the population is moving north. In November 2025, when the Tainan Wild Bird Society surveyed the coast from Yunlin to Kaohsiung, it already counted more than 5,000, which matches the January census.
The report also reminds us that good news does not mean we can relax. In 2025 the IUCN downgraded the species from Endangered (EN) to Vulnerable (VU), but suitable habitat has not kept up with population growth. This year a botulism outbreak at the Yong'an and Qidun wetlands in Kaohsiung led to 45 birds being rescued, and only 14 survived to be released back into the wild.
March 21 was also the first International Black-faced Spoonbill Day. As someone who enjoys birdwatching, I think the meaning of this census is that the numbers grew because people count them carefully every year, and because people protect the wetlands. Whether more and more birds can stay will depend on whether habitat protection can keep up.
Source: Wild Bird Society of Taiwan
The other wintering counts are: China 1,849, Japan 757, Hong Kong and Shenzhen's Houhai Bay 291, Vietnam 72, South Korea 39, Macau 12, and the Philippines 7. Within Taiwan, Tainan City still hosts the most birds with 2,034, though its share fell. Chiayi County, with 1,515, showed the sharpest rise, also a record. The Zhuoshui River estuary, on the Changhua–Yunlin border, had 465, and Yilan County 53, both above previous records. Birds were recorded in 15 counties and cities, a wider spread that suggests the population is moving north. In November 2025, when the Tainan Wild Bird Society surveyed the coast from Yunlin to Kaohsiung, it already counted more than 5,000, which matches the January census.
The report also reminds us that good news does not mean we can relax. In 2025 the IUCN downgraded the species from Endangered (EN) to Vulnerable (VU), but suitable habitat has not kept up with population growth. This year a botulism outbreak at the Yong'an and Qidun wetlands in Kaohsiung led to 45 birds being rescued, and only 14 survived to be released back into the wild.
March 21 was also the first International Black-faced Spoonbill Day. As someone who enjoys birdwatching, I think the meaning of this census is that the numbers grew because people count them carefully every year, and because people protect the wetlands. Whether more and more birds can stay will depend on whether habitat protection can keep up.
Source: Wild Bird Society of Taiwan
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