On January 11, 2010, conservation researchers from the Dongsha Management Station of the Marine National Park Headquarters (hereinafter referred to as the Headquarters) observed and photographed a bird on the eastern terrestrial area of Dongsha Island (at the Zhongcheng Road intersection). The photographs were submitted to the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society for identification and were confirmed as a new record species for Dongsha—the Red-throated Flycatcher.

According to the Headquarters, the Red-throated Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) measures approximately 12 centimeters in length as an adult. It primarily inhabits low-altitude forest edges in Siberia north of the Heilongjiang region. During winter, it migrates to southeastern coastal areas of mainland China and the Indochina Peninsula to overwinter. It feeds mainly on insects. In previous avian surveys conducted on Dongsha Island, the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society recorded a sighting of the Red-throated Flycatcher in September 2009; however, no photographic documentation was obtained at that time. The photographic record captured by the Headquarters’ researchers on this occasion is therefore particularly valuable.

Over the years, bird surveys on Dongsha Island have documented a total of 231 species. Considering that Dongsha Island covers only 174 hectares of land, the congregation of such a large number of bird species on this small island highlights its critical importance along the East Asian–Australasian migratory flyway.

The Headquarters stated that in addition to continuing terrestrial conservation efforts, future priorities will focus on marine coral reef ecosystems, marine biodiversity surveys, and conservation work. Plans are also underway to establish a marine research station, with the vision of developing Dongsha Atoll National Park into a tropical marine paradise.