Kaohsiung-A flood retention pond in Kaohsiung is serving as the site of a project to create a rich habitat for wild birds to rest and forage through the planting of an array of floating aquatic plants by the city's Water Resources Bureau.
Working in collaboration with the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society, the bureau is using the Area B Retention Pond near the Dianbao River in Gangshan District as a testing ground for growing water caltrops and water snowflakes, said the bureau in a press release.
The retention pond covers a massive area of 42 hectares and is suitably located where wildlife can flourish without human interference, according to the water bureau.
Based on data provided by the wild bird society, a total of 59 different avian species were spotted in the area from 2019 to 2020, such as greater painted-snipes, black-winged kites, black-naped orioles, and brown shrikes which are all listed as conservation species in Taiwan, it said.
The experiment rolled off the ground last summer, according to the bureau, and there are signs that the nymphoides indica, commonly called water snowflakes, is healthy and will continue to grow.
Insects such as damselflies, moth larvae, spiders, and shelled gastropod have been spotted around these plants, which could also serve as food for the local avian population that includes yellow bittern, cinnamon bittern, and pheasant-tailed jacana, the bureau explained.
While the monitoring of the bird population is still ongoing, if the project proves successful, it could be expanded to other suitable retention ponds in the city, which total 15, said the bureau.
The retention ponds, which are utilized as effective floodwater management measures, can serve as an ideal habitat for wildlife while at the same time improving a city's natural landscape, the bureau added.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel