Wetlands built for Hong Kong’s bird species yields positive results: green group

A project to create a habitat for wild ducks by a green group and fishermen in northwest New Territories has yielded unexpected results, with 120 bird species recorded in the last four years, accounting for 20 per cent of all types of flying creatures in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society said that the duck pond consisted of two inactive fish ponds in Deep Bay with a total size of 2.5 hectares (6.2 acres), where they have designed and built three man-made wetlands for wild ducks to rest and preen during winter.

“We have implemented a series of habitat management measures, including adjusting water levels and quality, vegetation management, placing duck decoys,” Yu Yat-tung, director of the group, said of the government-funded project, which started in March 2021.

The group hoped to gain funding again to extend its programme, he added.

Assistant project manager Chung Yun-tak said that the group, together with local fishermen, regularly cleared the weeds and retained reeds near the bird islands to maintain the open habitats and provide shelter for birds that shied away from urban areas.

He added that algae cultivation could also help provide a food source for wild ducks.