The Taiwan New Year Bird Count is a citizen science project which aims to monitor the status and trends of migratory waterbirds in Taiwan proper and its outlying islands. The 10th report represents the results of the 2023 count and was conducted between December 17, 2022 and January 8, 2023. During the survey, 818 participants recorded 376,722 individuals from 339 species in 171 sample circles. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of birders and members of the citizen science community, the tenth consecutive year of the Taiwan NYBC has been successfully completed! This marks the first decade milestone in the long-term citizen science monitoring of Taiwan's wintering birds. Such a feat would not have been possible without the support and assistance of various organizations such as the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and national park headquarter offices around Taiwan. The organizers would also like to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to all the participants, NGOs, and sponsors who have made this project a reality.
Over the past decade, the conservation of migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) has become a major topic in the Asia-Pacific region. Issues such as mudflat loss, the expansion of invasive species like Spartina alterniflora , climate change, overhunting, and rising sea levels all pose threats to waterbirds along the EAAF. Meanwhile, unchecked mangrove growth and the expansion of green energy installations such as solar panels and wind turbines also pose challenges. However, studies have shown that all is not lost, with rice paddy fields, fish ponds, and salt pans serving as refuges for wintering waterbirds by providing places to rest and forage. Yet this is not enough to save the millions of waterbirds along the flyway and more comprehensive actions must be taken.
As we celebrate the milestone of a decade of the Taiwan NYBC, it is important to look at some of the important results that it has achieved. These include the discovery of four migratory bird hotspots in Taiwan, the publication of journal articles using Taiwan NYBC findings, the completion of an international waterbird conservation documentary in collaboration with the University of Queensland, and the creation of a children's board game and coloring book highlighting bird conservation. We aspire to continue this important work well into the future. Towards this end, the organizers are happy to report that we are now supported by companies like E.SUN Bank. The continuous stable execution of the Taiwan NYBC has allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of longterm trends in bird populations and the effectiveness of various conservation strategies. It has also provided researchers and conservationists with insights into the factors impacting Taiwan's wintering waterbirds. For instance, in 2017 it was recognized that mudflat loss in the Yellow Sea area was a major reason behind the sharp declines in many shorebird species. The region is a crucial stopover site for shorebirds, serving as a major replenishment point along the migration route for many migratory species. However, decreasing levels of biodiversity and food resources have made it difficult for many waterbirds to get the necessary amounts of energy needed to complete their travels. Subsequently, Taiwan NYBC data collected between 2014 and 2021 revealed a rapid decline in waterbirds in northeastern Taiwan's Yilan County. This was not only due to mudflat loss in the Yellow Sea but was also related to agricultural land being increasingly converted to land for housing. These findings highlight the importance of land use planning with regard to conservation and emphasize the need for continuous monitoring via the use of citizen science. The Taiwan NYBC is organized by the Taiwan Wild Bird Federation (TWBF), the Wild Bird Society of Taipei (WBST), the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society (KWBS) and the Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute (TBRI). The organizers would also like to give special thanks to Allen Lyu ( 呂翊維 TWBF),
Scott Pursner ( 潘森識 TWBF), Chiang Kung-kuo ( 蔣功國 WBST), Lin Kun-hai ( 林昆海 KWBS), Lin Ruey-shing ( 林瑞興 TBRI), Tsai Chih-yi ( 蔡芷怡 TBRI) and Lin Da-li ( 林大利 TBRI) for their tireless effort in making the first decade of the Taiwan NYBC a reality.