Guantian Water Ouzel Ecological Education Park Introduction
The Guantian Purple Gallinule Conservation Area is located in Guantian District. It was established with sponsorship from Taiwan High-Speed Rail and was officially renamed Guantian Purple Gallinule Ecological Education Park after being taken over by the Tainan City Government's Agricultural Bureau. The park is gradually moving towards ecological education and tourism, featuring not only rich aquatic plants but also a variety of waterbirds. The most important species is the Purple Gallinule, which coexists with water chestnut fields, and visitors can observe its ecological wonders through telescopes, frequently attracting birdwatchers. This species of Purple Gallinule seen in Taiwan is the only one among the eight species worldwide that exhibits different forms in breeding plumage (summer plumage) and non-breeding plumage (winter plumage), as well as migratory habits. It was once spotted in Yilan, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Changhua, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Taitung. Due to land development and environmental destruction, it can currently only be found in the water chestnut fields between the Bajhang River and the Zengwen River in Tainan. In 1989, the Council of Agriculture announced the Purple Gallinule as a second-level precious and rare protected species.
