As winter approaches every year flocks of raptors fly from the north to the warm south to get through the hard winter, returning in spring the next year to breed. Guanyinshan (Guanyin Mountain ), on the left bank of the Danshui River, is not just a beautiful natural sight, it is also on the migration route of birds of prey that visit Taiwan. Every year in April and May , more than ten species of raptors can be seen on Guanyin Mountain, with the Chinese goshawk (Accipiter solensis), gray-faced buzzard eagle (Butastur indicus), Formosan crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) and serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela), the “four raptors of Guanyinshan,” the most numerous.
Raptors take advantage of thermals to rise to a great height, then soar through the air effortlessly, watching out for signs of prey far below. Daytime is the best time to watch them. Guanyinshan is actually the best place to watch birds of prey in the north of Taiwan.
Every year the scenic area’s administration and the Wild Bird Society of Taipei hold a bird of prey watching activity on Guanyinshan, featuring natural ecological guidance and peripheral activities, ideal for people interested in birds.