Many animals thrive in Hong Kong's wetlands. Apart from being a paradise for birds, they are also home to many dragonflies, mudskippers, shrimps, fish, fiddler crabs, periwinkles and frogs. 

The world-famous Mai Po marshes as well as Tsim Bei Tsui and Luk Keng in the New Territories offer spectacular views for bird watchers.

Bustling wetlands: Hong Kong showcases bustling wetland life.  Great Egret, Nannophya pygmaea -  the smallest dragonfly in Hong Kong (AFCD photo),  and mudskippers are but some of the habitants.

Tsim Bei Tsui is an internationally important wetland, he said. It has fish ponds, shrimp ponds, mudflats, and mangroves. This area, where birds and other wetland animals roost and feed, has high ecological value.

Not every bird can swim. They stay on land during high tides.

Wetlands a winter stopover for birds

When the tide is low, Inner Deep Bay in Tsim Bei Tsui is transformed into expansive mudflats where different species of wetland birds, such as water birds and waders, look for food.

You can also see birds when they winter or stop over in Hong Kong.

During winter, birds from parts of northern Asia, such as Siberia and northeast China, migrate to  warmer places in the south. Many of them will stop over in Mai Po marshes and Deep Bay for a meal before continuing their journey.

Waders such as sandpipers and plover as well as water birds like seagulls and ducks are common winter  birds that are found in Hong Kong, Mr Tam said.

The Black-faced Spoonbill, which comes from the demilitarised zone on the west coast of Korea, is an endangered species that winters in Hong Kong between October and April.

According to a recent global count, there are over 1,000 of them in the world and a quarter of them winter in Hong Kong.

Egrets, herons flock to island

A Chau is a well-known egret island at Luk Keng. The sight is fascinating when several hundred pairs of herons and egrets nest and breed here from April to September.

Mr Tam said A Chau is the largest egretry in Hong Kong.  One can find many resident birds, such as white Great Egrets, Little Egrets, Night Herons and Pond Herons, building nests on this woodland area.

Egrets are the most beautiful during their breeding season in March and April when they flaunt their breeding plumage to attract mates.

Bring your binoculars for a close-up view of the birds' behaviour, or catch a good view of the egret island from a nearby road or driveway.

Among the 100 or so resident birds recorded in Hong Kong, about 30 are wetland species.

Egret and Herons are the wetland resident birds that are commonly found in Hong Kong.

The most common wetland species is Little Egret, while Painted Snipe is a  rare resident species, said Mr Tam.

A paradise for dragonflies

Summer in Luk Keng is a wonderful time for appreciating dragonflies. It is home to over 50 species of dragonflies, among the 100-plus in Hong Kong. There are about 5,000 species of dragonflies in the world.

The two-centimetre long Nannophya pygmaea, one of the smallest dragonflies in the world and  the smallest recorded in Hong Kong, is also found here.

All sorts of small animals crawl in and out of the muddy holes in mudflats at low ebb. The cutest of all are the mudskippers which wriggle and bounce like acrobats.

The mud-coloured creatures look comical when they pump up their gills with water, but they become fierce when they try to defend their territories by warding off rivals.

Other small wetland animals that thrive in wetlands are  fiddler crabs, frogs, periwinkles, shrimp and fish larvae.  Visitors are fascinated by the vibrant and bustling life found here.