TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Raptor breeding season prompted researchers at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology to launch several livestreams featuring a black kite and a crested serpent eagle nest, per CTS.
Lin Hui-shan (林惠珊), head of Xinchang Ecological Research, a project partner, said the livestreams provide the public with a way to connect with nature and gain a closer understanding of local ecology. She said viewers can see what food adults feed their chicks, helping raise awareness about food safety issues affecting raptors.
She said a previous livestream by the Taiwan Raptor Research Society of crested serpent eagles was prematurely interrupted after chicks were indirectly poisoned by consuming prey contaminated with rat poison. Lin said the livestreams educate the public about the importance of environmentally friendly agriculture.
Huang Yun-jie (黃筠傑), a research assistant at NPUST, said the black kite nest being monitored is located in a Madagascar almond tree in northern Pingtung County. The nest currently contains a single chick about 30 days old.
Huang said the chick is expected to begin perching on branches outside the nest within one to two weeks and may start hopping between branches in about three weeks. Later, the parents are expected to encourage the chick to fly by carrying food nearby.
While conducting black kite research, the team also discovered a crested serpent eagle nest and established a livestream to monitor a newly hatched chick. The crested serpent eagles usually build nests high in treetops, making camera installation difficult, but this site offered a rare opportunity for observation, per CTS.
Huang said researchers were initially concerned the chick might ingest snakes contaminated with rat poison and suffer secondary poisoning. However, current observations show the chick is feeding mainly on banded bullfrogs.
The Kenting National Park Administration is also livestreaming a pair of black-naped monarchs, a bird endemic to Taiwan, adjacent to a park administration office, according to park staff Yang Cheng-feng (楊政峰).
Yang said the birds built the nest in early May, and two eggs were discovered weeks later. The parents are currently taking turns incubating the eggs. He added that the female bird sometimes appears to doze while incubating, creating an endearing scene for viewers.
The chicks are expected to hatch this week or next and will likely leave the nest about 10 days later. The livestream is available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Yang said that although black-naped monarchs inhabit lower-altitude forests, they are rarely seen because they prefer dense woodland habitats. He said the birds’ choice of a nesting site near humans reflects the growing proximity between wildlife and people caused by habitat loss.
