Black-faced Spoonbill Nature Reserve Introduction
The delta formed by the mouth of the Zengwen River and the newly emerged land at Haipu boasts a rich estuarine ecosystem, with abundant benthic and planktonic organisms. This attracts a large number of migratory birds seeking food, including the internationally recognized rare and protected black-faced spoonbill, which is the most notable migratory bird in this water area. Every year at the end of September, the black-faced spoonbills arrive from the distant north, and after spending the winter, they gradually leave the river mouth to return north in March of the following year. This phenomenon is a rare sight unique to the autumn and winter seasons. The northeast wind continually blows from the sea, and hardworking fishermen battle the cold winds in the fish farms and on the oyster racks. However, they begin to spot the spoonbills leisurely walking along the shallow waters in search of food. During this period, one can almost always see the black-faced spoonbills along the coast of Qigu. The older generation locally refers to them as "black-faced ducks," a term that sounds more affectionate. For a long time, humans and birds have coexisted peacefully, maintaining a healthy ecosystem. A phrase often heard from the local elders is, "People need to eat, and birds need to eat too; if there are many fish, why would the little birds go hungry?" They do not drive the birds away; instead, they share the small fish fry in the fish farms with the black-faced spoonbills. To them, the black-faced spoonbills are like old friends returning each winter.
