On the 27th, Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan visited the banks of the Zhuoshui River to observe the nesting and breeding of the endangered Oriental White Stork. She called on the public to respect nature and practice birdwatching in a “view from afar without disturbance” manner to jointly protect precious ecosystems. She emphasized that the successful nesting and chick-rearing of the Oriental White Stork not only marks a significant milestone in ecological conservation in Yunlin, but also demonstrates the tangible achievements of dust mitigation and environmental improvement efforts along the Zhuoshui River.
With only more than 3,000 Oriental White Storks remaining worldwide, a breeding pair recently nested on a Mailiao Power transmission tower along the Zhuoshui River and successfully hatched chicks. This represents the first recorded instance in Taiwan of the species completing reproduction in a natural environment, carrying strong symbolic significance. County Magistrate Chang Li-shan, Legislator Chang Chia-chun, Deputy Magistrate Chen Pi-chun, County Councilors Liao Wei-ching, Lee Ming-che, and Yang Kuo-kuan, along with Director Yang Chun-wei of Councilor Yang’s constituency office, visited the site under the guidance of Wu Chung-han, Standing Supervisor of the Yunlin Wild Bird Society, to gain firsthand understanding of the storks’ habitat and breeding conditions.
Magistrate Chang stated that upon receiving information regarding the storks’ nesting, the county government immediately activated conservation response measures. Coordination with Mailiao Power ensured that “ecological priority” practices were adopted during maintenance of the transmission tower, including avoiding non-essential tower access, postponing maintenance work, strengthening insulation of critical components, and introducing remote monitoring systems, thereby preventing disturbance to the parent birds while balancing electricity safety and ecological protection.
She further noted that the successful breeding of the Oriental White Stork along the Zhuoshui River demonstrates significant improvement in habitat conditions and confirms the effectiveness of dust control initiatives. Through joint implementation of the “Zhuoshui River Dust Prevention and Improvement Action Plan” by local and central governments, the number of dust event days decreased from 59 days in 2017 to only 2 days in 2022, while the annual average PM10 concentration dropped from 64 μg/m³ to 39 μg/m³. Despite impacts from extreme climate in recent years, dust events were controlled to 11 days in 2025, with PM10 further reduced to 36.7 μg/m³, indicating continued stabilization and enhancement of environmental quality.
She added that more than 250 bird species have now been recorded at the Zhuoshui River estuary, including key indicator species such as the Black-faced Spoonbill and the Oriental White Stork. This reflects Yunlin’s transition from “dust control” to “ecological restoration.” The county will continue collaborating with central authorities to promote the establishment of ecological corridors and bird monitoring programs, linking the Zhuoshui River basin with Chenglong Wetlands and the Caoling geological landscape to comprehensively strengthen ecological conservation capacity.
Legislator Chang Chia-chun noted that the Oriental White Stork has appeared in the Zhuoshui River basin for several consecutive years, and successfully raised three chicks this year. This symbolizes the achievements of ecological environmental improvement and has attracted many bird enthusiasts. She expressed hope for further strengthening environmental education efforts to establish Yunlin as an important hub for ecological friendliness.
Director of Agriculture Wei Sheng-te stated that the county government has promoted green conservation labeling and wildlife-friendly farming, fostering coexistence between agricultural production and wildlife. The storks’ nesting constitutes tangible results, and policies will continue to be refined to safeguard biodiversity.
Environmental Protection Bureau Director Chang Chiao-wei indicated that dust issues along the Zhuoshui River have significantly improved, leading to gradual ecological recovery. Approximately NT$9.8 million in funding has been secured this year to advance dust mitigation, ecological conservation, migratory bird monitoring, and environmental education, while introducing AI image recognition and ecological documentation systems to comprehensively record the river’s journey from management to restoration.
Wu Chung-han, Standing Supervisor of the Yunlin Wild Bird Society, pointed out that this breeding record represents the southernmost latitude publicly documented worldwide for the Oriental White Stork, with three chicks successfully raised. This demonstrates abundant food resources and favorable habitat conditions, and future satellite tracking and scientific research may further reveal migration behaviors.
Tsai Chien-liang, Deputy General Manager of the Formosa Mailiao Management Department, stated that in support of conservation actions, the company has suspended related conductor replacement projects and avoided tower access to minimize disturbance, demonstrating corporate commitment to environmental sustainability.
Sources: Yunlin County Government
