Birds living in open landscapes have been hit hardest by rural development in the past three decades, research by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society has found. Researcher Woo Ming-chuan said most open landscapes were regarded as of low conservation value, causing them to be overlooked and unprotected. "Birds are an important environmental indicator," said another researcher Yu Yat-tung as he called for attention to the matter. Among all the recorded species, more than 10 saw their distribution broadening, with two thirds of them living in woodland. Research also found that the most widespread bird species in Hong Kong was the Chinese bulbul, followed by red-whiskered bulbul, Swinhoe's white-eye and the common tailorbird.

Source: The Standard November 04, 2020 19:12 UTC