TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Dasyueshan Bird Race concluded on Saturday, with birdwatching teams identifying 134 species during the 24-hour competition.

Organized by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Taichung Branch, the event marked a milestone this year, with 31 species endemic to Taiwan recorded for the first time, CNA reported.

Now in its 15th consecutive year, the race attracted 27 teams and 104 participants from across Taiwan. Despite challenges over the years—including epidemics, earthquakes, typhoons, and heavy rain—the event has continued uninterrupted and has become one of Taiwan’s most iconic birdwatching competitions.

This year’s winning team, “If it’s not bird watching, I won’t participate!”, recorded 102 species, including all 31 endemic birds found in Dasyueshan—a first in the event’s history.

The competition has also been a pioneer in adopting the international online birdwatching platform eBird. Organizers said all competition data is uploaded to the database, helping with annual bird censuses and contributing to research by scientists and environmentalists worldwide.

The World Bird Fair is scheduled to be held in Taichung this September, and birding enthusiasts will be invited to Dasyueshan to experience its renowned avian biodiversity.

The competition began at 10 a.m. on Friday, and Taichung Branch Director Chang Hong-yi (張弘毅) and other birders immediately spotted a crested serpent eagle flying overhead. The raptor, commonly found in forested habitats, holds a special place among bird lovers in Taiwan.

Birders also ventured into the forest trails at night, using sound to track elusive nocturnal species like the yellow-billed scops owl. Over the years, as many as 15 species of diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey have been recorded during the event.