Trained falcons protect Taitung crops from bird pests

2026-09-25

A resident in Taitung’s Chishang Township recently reported a stranger walking through the rice patties with a falcon on his arm, concerned about the bird’s legal origin. The man was actually hired as a certified falconer to protect the farms. His trained falcon drives birds away to other areas, keeping them from eating crops and destroying the farmers’ hard work.

A falcon spreads its wings to balance on its handler’s arm as he walks through a field. This unique pair recently triggered a misunderstanding in Taitung’s Chishang Township when a resident reported them, concerned the bird may have been sourced illegally.

Lin Keng-hung
Chishang Youth Empowerment Station director
This is part of a low-impact bird deterrent project we’re working on with the National Development Council and the Taitung branch of the rural development agency.

This man and his falcon are actually helping protect the field by keeping away other birds. To help farmers drive the birds away without hurting them, a group from Chishang launched what they’re calling “Project CHIRP.” Depending on the area, time, and type of pests, they’ll use decoy hawks, acoustic deterrents, kites, or actual trained falcons to trigger the birds’ natural instinct to keep away from predators.

Lin Keng-hung
Chishang Youth Empowerment Station director
We hope that through this short-term, scare-based deterrence method, it will drive the birds away temporarily, giving farmers a guaranteed harvest.

If farmers are expected to adopt such environmentally friendly methods, they shouldn’t have to bear the cost alone. Consumers must also play a part. Anyone can show their support by purchasing eco-friendly products, working together with farmers to ensure balance between nature and agriculture.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Taitung #farming #agriculture #falcon #falconer #birdhandler #sustainability #animalwelfare

台東池上男帶猛禽遭檢舉原來是"友善驅鳥師"

2026-09-25

日前在台東池上鄉，有民眾發現一名陌生男子帶著一隻猛禽穿梭在田野中，因為擔心來源不合法，因此向相關單位通報。原來男子是友善驅鳥師，專門透過訓練猛禽來改變鳥類的活動範圍，讓鳥類不要攻擊農作物，幫農民守護辛苦工作的成果。

猛禽拍動翅膀，發出尖銳的叫聲，乖乖停在男子手臂上，穿梭在農田中，這個奇特的場景就出現在台東池上鄉，但日前卻引發民眾誤會，質疑猛禽可能是非法來源，而向縣政府通報。

[[池上青年培力工作站主持人林耿弘]]
“這個是我們跟國家發展委員，還有農村水保署，臺東分署一起推廣的友善驅鳥計劃”

原來這名男子是守護農田的「友善驅鳥師」。為了讓農民不傷害鳥類，來自池上的團隊推動一系列「鷲咪計畫 CHIRP」，依田區、時間及鳥群狀況，搭配鷹偶、聲音驅離，設計猛禽風箏及訓練猛禽等方式，降低鳥群取食農作。而訓練猛禽是利用掠食者的威攝力，來改變鳥群活動範圍，並非進行獵捕。

[[池上青年培力工作站主持人林耿弘]]
“那我們也希望可以在，透過這樣一個短期驚嚇的驅趕方式，讓鳥類可以暫時離開田區，然後農夫也可以在收成上獲得一個保障”

如果期待農民友善驅鳥，成本並不能只壓在農民上，也需消費者盡一份心力，民眾可以透過購買友善農產品來支持，一起讓生態與產業友善共好。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

Trained falcons protect Taitung crops from bird pests