Rare Central Asian gull spotted for the first time in TainanVULNERABLE SPECIES: As the relict gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, it might be the same bird sighted in Changhua last year, birdwatchers saidStaff writer, with CNAA relict gull has been spotted in Tainan for the first time, in only the fifth recorded sighting of the vulnerable Central Asian species in Taiwan, the Wild Bird Society of Tainan said. Local birdwatcher Lin Kun-hui (林坤慧) spotted the gull on Wednesday after noticing it stood out among other birds at a salt pan in Tainan’s Jiangjun District (將軍). A relict gull is pictured in Tainan’s Jiangjun District in an undated photograph. As the gull is not a regular migrant to Taiwan, the society said it might be the same bird spotted last year, possibly moving south to escape cold surges. Earlier sightings were recorded in Kinmen County in 2013, Yilan County in 2016 and Pingtung County in 2024, it said.

Source: Taipei Times January 09, 2026 17:45 UTC