THE ENVIRONMENT
ponds and dwarf mangroves provide a rich habitat, particularly, for migratory and resident birds as well as ducks and waders. Some 300 species of birds have been observed in this area, and at least 110 of them are rarely seen elsewhere in Hong Kong. Yim Tso Ha, also a restricted area, is one of the largest egretries in Hong Kong.
The traditional fung shui woods near old villages and temples have provided an important habitat for many birds. Sightings in wooded areas include warblers, flycatchers, robins, bulbuls and tits.
Areas around the Kowloon reservoirs are inhabited by monkeys descended from animals which had been released or had escaped from captivity. There are breeding groups of long-tailed macaques and rhesus monkeys and their hybrids. Smaller mammals are common, with the woodland shrew, house shrew and bats prevalent in some rural areas. Occasional sightings are still reported of less common species such as the Chinese porcupine, the leopard cat, civet cat, ferret badger, pangolin and barking deer. Wild boar occasionally cause damage to farm crops in some remote
areas.
Hong Kong has more than 200 recorded species and forms of butterflies. Among the many local moths are the giant silkworm moths, including the cythia, fawn, atlas and moon. Dragonflies and damselflies are also common, as are wasps and metallic- coloured beetles.
Aquatic Fauna
Hong Kong is in the Oriental Region and despite cool winters has a fauna dominated by tropical species. It has a very high diversity of fish, crustacea and molluscs, of which at least 150 species are of commercial importance. Transient species such as the yellow croaker and melon seed, typically found off northern China and Japan, bolster the resident marine fauna when the monsoonal flow brings in cooler waters.
Local waters range broadly from the predominantly brackish in the west to the less turbid and more oceanic in the east. Seasonal rainfall affects the outflow of the Pearl River, the largest river in southern China, causing brackish waters to extend into areas which for most of the year experience clear oceanic waters. Many marine fish breed in Hong Kong waters. Typical of eastern waters is the gold-lined sea bream, one of several sea bream whose fry are abundant along the shores of Mirs Bay and are captured in the early spring months to provide a mainstay for mariculture.
The natural history of many common shore animals, particularly the more sedentary molluscs and crustacea of rocky shores and mangroves has been studied, but broad gaps remain in the knowledge of local marine fauna. Increase in demands for marine recreation, including boating, sport fishing and scuba diving, coupled with concerns for the visible effects of pollution, dredging and dumping in local waters have drawn much attention to marine wildlife in recent years. The less-common commercial fish and many corals that reach the northernmost extent of their range in Hong Kong remain poorly documented, not to mention the myriad of less familiar worms, urchins, starfish, sea pens and the more microscopic planktonic forms.
The habitats of Hong Kong's coastal areas have experienced dramatic changes in the last decade, in parallel with the rapid rate of development in Hong Kong. Inevitably, detrimental changes in the fauna have occurred, but counteracting measures are being taken with a view to protecting sensitive aquatic communities.
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