You can follow the West Coast Highway, head south to pass through Zhuwei Fishing Harbor, visit the coastal utopia of where Laojie Creek and Shuangsikou Creek meet. With the beautiful ocean, blue sky, shrike flying elegantly, and the cute look of the big-eye muaskipper, the time seems to move slower like the windmill on the shore. Originally an abandoned barracks, Xucuogang is the best transit stop for migratory birds due to its well-developed water system and river terrain. The whole area is 961 hectares, and 10.5 kilometers long. The Executive Yuan designated it as an "Important Wetland (National Class)." Taking a quick look at the wetlands, nothing seems special, just a bike trail, mangrove forest wooden path, and no artificial facilities. However, there are many hidden "national treasures" in its original ecology. You will find different surprises each time you come!
Xucuogang Wetland has been identified by BirdLife International as one of the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). Every year from October to the following May, many bird watchers will flood here with anticipation to see black-faced spoonbill, Chinese egret, black-headed gull, small tern and other migratory birds. Due to the wetland's intertidal zone, windbreak forest, fish farms, and paddy fields, it becomes a halfway stop for large-scale migratory birds as they migrate south. Currently, there are two hundred bird species here, about 32% of Taiwan's 560 species. With birds foraging and resting, it forms a tranquil ecological landscape. Telescopes, monocular cameras, an attitude of not disturbing the birds while watching, as well as an unhurried schedule are necessary for bird watching.
Xucuogang is not only one of the Taoyuan's best wild bird habitats, but also a natural classroom for understanding the ecology of the intertidal zone. You can see species like Taiwan bamboo reed, hackberry, herb of beach morningglory, dock root and other endemic species of Taiwan. If you want to know more about these coastal species, come to Dayuan Nei-Hai Elementary School's "Xucuogang Ecological Classroom", where you will learn lessons that are not in textbooks!
