00:00It's peak breeding season for little terns, a protected species.
00:04But this year, conservationists on Taiwan's outlying Penghu Islands are asking,
00:08where did the birds go?
00:11Here at Qingluo Wetland, a designated breeding site,
00:14there are typically more than 200 little ternists around this time of year.
00:19The migratory seabirds usually lay eggs and raise their chicks here
00:23until their young are able to fly back south.
00:30When it's destroyed, it's not going to be able to recover.
00:33The young are not going to be able to recover.
00:35The third year, it's very special,
00:37that the last year, suddenly, at 5月7日, we didn't see it.
00:44Conservationists say finding known nests during peak breeding season is alarming,
00:49something not seen in the past several decades.
00:52They say sand extraction and channel dredging projects in the area
00:56may have changed the habitat,
00:58shrinking the sandy area and making nesting more challenging.
01:02Others say human management of the area could also be a factor in their disappearance.
01:08In response to the problem, the Penghu County government said
01:11little terns were still spotted when the dredging project was completed by the end of 2025,
01:17with sightings continuing into early April.
01:20Now, with the dredging over, some point to another possible threat.
01:46Conservationists are now investigating the cause of the little terns' absence,
01:49and pest control measures will be carried out once breeding season ends in August,
01:54in hopes of bringing the little birdies back.
01:57Andy Shrian-Sanichi for Taiwan Plus.
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