The Digital Sound-and-Image Archive Project for the Works of Ecological Photographer Mr. Liu Yan-Ming
I. Introduction of the Project
Nature documentaries are an important branch in documentary films. Compared to other documentary subjects such as human societies, ethonologies, and art culture, making nature documentaries is far more challenging. The natural world is constantly changing, well hidden, and hard to predict. Capturing footage is difficult and requires sophisticated equipment. Renowned ecological photographer Mr. Yen-Ming Liu, who had brought Formosan Blue Magpies to fame with his documentary “A Family of Formosan Blue Magpies,” has dedicated his life to making nature documentary films. For the past 30 years, he has encountered countless obstacles and unimaginable dangers while staying in the wild alone. The documentary films he makes are treasures in the environmental conservation field. Liu’s persistence and hard work has gained international recognition and made him a receiver of numerous awards throughout the years.
“The Digital Sound-and-Image Archive Project for the Works of Ecological Photographer Mr. Liu Yan-Ming” is a two-year research plan, the objective of which is to digitize the bird footage in analog film captured by Mr. Liu over the past thirty years. The digitized sound and image data will then be synchronized using computer editing techniques, stored in the established internet digital video database, and offered for viewing through the VOD (Video on Demand) system. By using the cutting-edge technology and the Internet, the plan is expected to assist private ecological recorders to store valuable footage in analogue film, provide more ecological records to the public, thereby promoting ecological awareness and education in Taiwan.
II. Videos and brief descriptions of 8 bird species
1. Nisaetus nipalensis (Mountain Hawk-eagle)
Parent guarding nest and eaglet
- Population: Less than 500 in Taiwan
- Status: Resident
- Foraging sites: Forest
- Foraging method: Searching on tree top, diving to catch
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Major food: Flying squirrel, tree squirrel
- Movement: Activity mainly in the morning
- Habitat type: Undeveloped forest
- Distributed lower limit: 300m
- Distributed upper limit: 3,000m
- Conservation status: Class I endangered species More videos of Mountain Hawk-eagle
2. Spilornis cheela (Crested Serpent Eagle)
- Population: Common
- Status: Resident
- Foraging sites: Forest clearing, stream bank or tree top
- Foraging method: Waiting and searching
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Major food: Mainly reptiles, especially snakes
- Movement: Long flight in good weather
- Habitat type: Habitat varied
- Distributed lower limit: 0m
- Distributed upper limit: 2,000m
- Conservation status: Class II rare and valuable species More videos of Crested Serpent Eagle
3. Ictinaetus malayensis (Indian Black Eagle)
Parent and Nestling
- Population: Probably 500 to 1,000 in Taiwan
- Status: Resident Foraging sites: Forest, shrubland, clearing, plantation
- Foraging method: Aerial foraging, diving to catch.
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Major food: Mammals and birds, especially nests
- Movement: Flying almost all the time
- Habitat type: Undeveloped forest in mountain
- Distributed lower limit: 150m
- Distributed upper limit: 2,500m
- Conservation status: Class I endangered species More videos of Indian Black Eagle
4. Platalea minor (Black-Faced Spoonbill)
- Population: Only about 2,000 in the world
- Status: Migrator
- Foraging sites: Marshes, mudflats, lakes, fish ponds
- Foraging method: Swing the head and filter by bill
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Major food: Fish
- Movement: Nocturnal, resting during day time
- Habitat type: Estuarine areas
- Distributed lower limit: 0m
- Distributed upper limit: 50m
- Conservation status: Class I endangered species More videos of Black-faced Spoonbill
5. Syrmaticus mikado (Mikado Pheasant)
Foraging (Male, leading whole family)
- Population: Over 10,000 in Taiwan
- Status: Endemic species of Taiwan; Resident
- Foraging sites: Prefer foraging in open space
- Foraging method: Walking, eating, pecking ground food
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Major food: Ground plants, earthworms, insects
- Movement: Active in the morning and evening
- Habitat type: Forest understory shrub, steep slope
- Distributed lower limit: 700m
- Distributed upper limit: 3,800m
- Conservation status: Appendix II protected endangered species More videos of Mikado Pheasant
6. Lophura swinhoii (Swinhoe’s Pheasant)
Foraging (Female)
- Population: Over 10,000 in Taiwan
- Status: Endemic species of Taiwan; Resident
- Foraging sites: Foraging along a fixed path
- Foraging method: Walk foraging, pecking ground food
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Major food: Ground plants, earthworms, insects
- Movement: Active in the morning and evening
- Habitat type: Forest understory shrub, gentle slope
- Distributed lower limit: 300m
- Distributed upper limit: 2,300m
- Conservation status: Appendix II protected endangered species More videos of Swinhoe's Pheasant
7. Passer rutilans (Russet Sparrow)
Parent feeding the young
- Population: Less than 1,000 in Taiwan
- Status: Resident
- Foraging sites: Human living environment and farmland
- Foraging method: Glean and roller feeding
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Major food: Small herb seeds and insects
- Movement: Together in the winter
- Habitat type: The edge of woodlands and villages
- Distributed lower limit: 200m
- Distributed upper limit: 1,800m
- Conservation status: Class I endangered species More videos of Russet Sparrow
8. Oriolus traillii (Maroon Oriole)
Breeding
- Population: May be thousands
- Status: Resident
- Foraging sites: Forest canopy
- Foraging method: Foraging in the foliage
- Diet: Omnivorous
- Major food: Insects
- Movement: Shy, like to hide in the canopy
- Habitat type: Evergreen forest or deciduous forest
- Distributed lower limit: 300m
- Distributed upper limit: 1,000m
- Conservation status: Appendix II protected endangered species More videos of Maroon Oriole
A Slice of Wonder
