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From March to September each year, countless birds enter their breeding and nesting season. But hidden dangers lie just out of sight—in the drainage ditches we pass by every day—posing a deadly threat to their young.
In recent years, chicks of species such as the Eastern spot-billed duck, white-breasted waterhen, and the protected greater painted-snipe have frequently been found trapped in U-shaped concrete drainage ditches—structures commonly seen across Taiwan. For fledglings not yet capable of flight, these ditches present an almost inescapable hazard.
Even more dangerous is the sudden surge of irrigation or drainage water, which can:
- Sweep chicks away, separating them from their parents
- Drain their energy as they struggle to escape
- Weaken them due to prolonged exposure and lack of food
These incidents occur most commonly near farmland but are also reported in drainage systems along roads, parks, and community slopes. The situation calls for greater public awareness and action.
What should you do if you find a chick trapped in a ditch?
(1) Call the 1999 Citizen Service Hotline to report an injured wild bird (or other wildlife).
(2) If you're in the Hualien or Taitung area, contact WildOne Wildlife Hospital directly.
WildOne Rescue Hotline: 089-862368; Mobile: 0972-799053; (After 6 PM, please reach out via official Facebook page.)
Here’s how else we can help:
- Encourage communities and water resource authorities to install wildlife-friendly features—such as escape ramps—at known hotspots
- Increase inspections during breeding season to reduce the risk of entrapment and death
- Stay informed and advocate for infrastructure that considers the needs of wildlife. Sometimes, a single ramp is all it takes for a chick to find its way back to nature.
Let’s build one more path to survival—for the small lives born in spring and summer.
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