Guantian Black-faced Spoonbill Ecological Education Park Introduction
The Kuan Tian Water Chicken Reintroduction Area is located in the Kuan Tian District. It was established with sponsorship from Taiwan High-Speed Rail and was officially renamed the Kuan Tian Water Chicken Ecological Education Park after being taken over by the Tainan City Government's Agricultural Bureau. The park gradually moves towards ecological education and tourism, featuring a rich variety of aquatic plants and numerous waterbird species. Among them, the most significant is the Water Chicken, or the Lingshan fairy, which coexists with water caltrop fields. Visitors can observe the fascinating ecology of the Water Chicken through telescopes, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers. The Water Chicken species seen in Taiwan is the only one among the eight worldwide that exhibits different breeding (summer) and non-breeding (winter) plumage, as well as a migratory habit. Historically, it could be found in areas such as Yilan, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Changhua, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, and Taitung. However, due to land development and environmental destruction, it can now only be found in the water caltrop fields in the plains between the Bajhang River and the Zengwen River in Tainan. The Council of Agriculture announced that the Water Chicken is a second-level precious and rare conservation species.
