TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Endangered eastern grass owls have returned to parts of Taichung for the first time in decades, with forestry officials crediting habitat restoration and expanding ecological corridors for the species’ reappearance.
The Taichung Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said a recent survey documented eastern grass owl activity in the city’s Fanziliao Coastal Protection Forest and Dadu Mountain area, marking the species’ return to central Taiwan after an absence of more than half a century, per a press release.
The agency commissioned a professional research team to monitor the owls and map potential habitats. Researchers captured images of the owls using perches in the Fanziliao Coastal Protection Forest and Dadu Mountain, while automated acoustic recorders detected owl calls at four survey sites.
The eastern grass owl is an endangered species in Taiwan and the country’s only owl that nests in grasslands. Its population is small and difficult to monitor because it inhabits open, low-elevation grasslands, where it nests and breeds among tall grasses.
In recent decades, the species has been found mainly in southern Taiwan, including Tainan, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. Historical records show eastern grass owls bred on the Dadu Mountain Plateau during the 1960s, suggesting the area once served as an important habitat.
The agency said the Dadu Mountain Plateau forms part of a key ecological corridor linking potential habitats along the Daan, Dajia, and Dadu rivers. Researchers used automated cameras, sound recorders, and habitat assessments to establish baseline data on owl activity.
Officials said conserving grassland vegetation is critical because the species depends heavily on the structure and quality of grassland habitat. To improve conditions, the agency restored about 1.15 hectares of native cogongrass next to the Gaomei Wetlands in 2025.
The area historically supported cogongrass grasslands, although strong coastal winds had limited vegetation growth, per the press release. Another hectare of cogongrass was planted on Dadu Mountain to create additional nesting habitat. Officials said the restoration has already resulted in initial eastern grass owl sightings.
The agency said it plans to continue restoring habitat in potential eastern grass owl areas, including the Central Taiwan Science Park, to create connected grassland corridors supporting the recovery of one of Taiwan’s rarest birds.
