2023-09-04 20:31:57
Sparrow Hong Kong Bird Watching Society Kenneth Lam
The tree sparrow is one of the most common birds in Hong Kong and has always been loved by the public. The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society released the 8th Hong Kong Sparrow Census. The results showed that there were about 243,000 sparrows in the urban area of Hong Kong, a slight decrease of about 10% compared with the previous year. Zhong Jinting, research director of the Bird Watching Society, said that the number of sparrows may be affected by the weather and the availability of food, but because the census did not collect relevant data, the actual reason cannot be determined. The Bird Watching Association believes that at least 10 years of continuous monitoring is needed to grasp a more accurate population trend.
The census was conducted by more than 120 enumerators from 8 am to 11 am from May 6 to 14. The 88 one-kilometer census routes covered 6 land uses in 18 districts of Hong Kong, including commercial areas and rural areas. , residential areas, industrial areas, agricultural areas, recreation and recreation areas. The results show that there are about 243,000 sparrows in the urban area of Hong Kong, which is about 10% lower than the previous year’s census (268,000). The number of sparrows in 4 of the 6 land uses is lower than that of last year; Sham Shui Po District continues to be the area where most sparrows gather, followed by Tuen Mun District and Wong Tai Sin District. Four common urban birds were also included in the census. Among them, the urban population of the pearl-necked turtledove was estimated at 58,000, the magpie robin 17,000, the red-eared bulbul 60,000, and the red-billed blue magpie 3,600. The number decreased compared with last year, but the number of red-billed blue magpie increased, and it was recorded in agricultural and industrial areas in the census for the first time. Zhong Jinting, research director of the Bird Watching Society, said that the number of sparrows may be affected by the weather and the availability of food, but the actual reason cannot be determined because the census did not collect relevant data.
Yu Cheong-hang, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
Yu Changheng, Assistant Education Manager of the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, believes that the number of birds reflects the biodiversity of the city. If the city is not well managed and excessive non-targeted insecticides are used, the biodiversity will be reduced, and the natural food of the birds will also be reduced, resulting in The number of birds is declining. I hope that the government will “do better management” and continue to plant native species of trees suitable for local birds to increase the number of birds. It is also recommended that the government follow the practices of other regions and launch bird-friendly buildings. Legislative research. He said that the Bird Watching Association will start collecting bird strike records in Hong Kong through the “Global Bird Strike Map” from 2021; as of this year, the platform has recorded a total of about 250 individual bird strikes, of which the Hong Kong sparrow, red-eared bulbul and pearl-necked turtledove were respectively There are 9, 7 and 14 bird strike records. Mei Foo, Tsing Yi City, Chinese University and other places are bird strike black spots. The main reason is that some newly completed buildings use a large number of glass curtain walls.
Rat glue is another crisis for urban birds
Mouse glue is another crisis facing urban birds. Yu Changheng explained that wild birds will be attracted by the insects stuck to the mouse glue and fall into the mouse glue trap. He also cited data from the Kadoorie Farm, saying that in January this year, a total of 25 wild urban birds such as house sparrows, magpie robins, and pearl-necked turtledoves were received by mistake. Yu Changheng called on the public to put anti-bird stickers on the glass, stop using mouse glue, reduce the use of non-targeted pest control methods, and keep some harmless insects and invertebrates for birds to feed on.
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