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Following the 2015 documentary Fly, Kite Fly, in December 2021 a documentary called Enigma: The Chinese Crested Tern was completed (based on the Thalasseus bernsteini filmed over 20 years and spanning six countries). Wistron Foundation has long been focusing on the environment and ecology and was also a co-sponsor of Fly, Kite Fly. In 2000, when Director Liang Chieh-Te was inspecting a set of negatives filmed in Matsu that had some issues, he discovered the long thought to be extinct “mythical bird”, Thalasseus bernsteini, was captured on the film. The surprise made him the first to discover the mythical bird and started this story of documenting the lands and ecological conservation in Taiwan.
How many 20 years do you have in a lifetime? Director Liang Chieh-Te sacrificed his youth for his passion. He does not only love birds and filming birds, he always wants to convey goodwill and respect towards the environment and life! The Foundation specifically chose the day before the premier around Taiwan to host a VIP screening for our social welfare partners and volunteers that supported us by contributing their time and effort. We were honored by the attendance of the Chairperson and the directors of the Foundation.
As the credits rolled, the crisp call of the mythical birds rang through our ears. Besides being touched by the story, the audience reflected on the situation. During the sharing session after the film, Director Liang emphasized that he hoped to use Enigma: The Chinese Crested Tern to raise awareness for environmental issues related to birds, including ocean pollution, depletion of fishing resources, and human interference, which have posed great challenges for the survival of Thalasseus bernsteini and other sea birds.
The Chairperson of the Foundation, Simon Lin, also went on stage to show his gratitude to Director Liang and to the directors, partners, and volunteers. He shared his own thoughts on the movie and said that Enigma: The Chinese Crested Tern is not only about a disappearing bird, the movie also showed him that the environmental, ecological, and sustainable actions of the Foundation in the past 10 years are going in the right direction, that sustainability does not just mean that the bird does not go extinct but includes inclusiveness and diversity. In terms of endangered animals, sustainability is not just about survival but about the reason behind the near extinction.
“You reap what you sow!” So, we must remind ourselves to not plant bad seeds. The Chairperson also emphasized that the Foundation will continue to work with its social welfare partners in the future in order to create friendlier environments around the world. The original ideal of the Wistron Foundation is simple: To create a sustainable environment and a sustainable Earth.
“Birds today, humans tomorrow.” Any problem related to the survival of birds is a problem we will face in the future. The Foundation has supported this meaningful documentary in the hopes that it will raise awareness for environmental protection and ecological conservation among the public, so that the beauty of this mythical bird is no longer a myth!
Understanding the Thalasseus bernsteini
Thalasseus bernsteini, also known as the Chinese crested tern, is between 38 to 43 centimeters in length. The males and females are identical. The bird’s appearance is similar to the greater crested tern, but it is slightly smaller in size. The iris of its eyes is dark brown. The beak is mainly an orange-yellow color, with the last third of the beak being black and the tip of the beak is white. The torso is mainly white and the feet are black.
There are very few Chinese crested terns in the world. The total population is estimated to be 100 birds and has been listed as a critically endangered animal by the Taiwan Wildlife Conservation Act. In the past, the Chinese crested tern was considered to be an extinct species. Until the spotting in Matsu in 2000, the last documented sighting of this bird was 60 years ago. The bird’s IUCN Red List rating is CR (critically endangered), and, therefore, it is called the mythical bird.
Protecting the Chinese crested tern
In order to implement the conservation actions for the mythical bird, the Wild Bird Society of Taipei organized the Enigma: The Chinese Crested Tern “Flying with the Mythical Bird” fundraising event, where everyone was welcome to participate.
Picture provided by: Event group photo/movie poster (provided by CaiChang International, Inc.) Photos of the Chairperson sharing after the screening (provided by Chang Kun-Fu of Wistron)
Information sources for understanding the Thalasseus bernsteini: One Hundred Marine Animals in Taiwan