Wildlife Refuge, Major Wildlife Habitats

Yilan County Government

The wetland is located at Sincheng Estuary, Yilan County. It encompasses Wuwei Harbor Waterbird Refuge, Sinchneg Estuary, Dinliao Ecological Pond, coastal protection forest, and the surrounding waters. The wetland borders Suao Regional Landfill on the north; Liko 3rd Road, Hsincheng River Levee and Yilan Township on the west; 6-meter isobaths off the coast on the east. It also extends south to approximately 450 m north of Suao Harbor.

The habitat within this wetland is diverse, ranging from estuary sandbank, estuary waters, confined pond, coastal intertidal zone, coastal protection forest, coastal waters, and ecological park, which is quite comprehensive. It is an important area for the migratory and transient birds in northeastern Taiwan. There is a wide range of bird species, including the wintering Anatidae family, as well as Larindae, which utilizes the sandbanks at Sincheng Estuary as the breeding ground.
The water flows in and out of this wetland mainly through the Pacific; Sincheng River; the big ditch at the harbor; the core waters in Wuwei Harbor Waterbird Refuge. The typhoon of 1968 altered the river course, and the subsequent typhoons brought immense sedimentation to Wuwei Harbor, which clogged the water course and made the area prone to flood after heavy rain. The Sincheng Estuary shifted north after dredging. Though the estuary is drying up, the wetland remains.

A minimum of 96 families, 247 genera and 324 species of plants are found within the wetland, and over 5,000 birds are found at Wuwei Harbor. The winter season between 2013 and 2014 broke the record with 7,000 birds counted. Among them, the Anatidae family accounts for 47-60%, which is the highest; the great cormorant, Ardeidae and Solopacidae each accounts for 5-10%. In 2016, 9 protected bird species were recorded during the survey. Most of which are Accipitridae, while the protected species include the mandarin duck and Baikal teal.

N/A

Asian Crested Goshawk, Besra Sparrow Hawk, Crested Serpent Eagle, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Common Kestrel and Chinese Moccasin.

Brown Shrike and Turtle-designed Snake.

Proximity to the coastal highway, nearby industrial park development, and discharge of household sewage are threats and concerns for the wetlands.

Forest Bureau, Council of Agriculture.