Along the waterfront of Hong Kong’s outlying island Cheung Chau, a lengthy line of photographers patiently wait almost every day for a resident owl, which also attracts curious passers-by and brings “good fortune” to nearby seafood restaurants. The phenomenon has grown since earlier this month after posts of a brown fish owl on several local birdwatching social media groups showed the bird perched on fishing vessels berthed along the shore. The Post last week joined birdwatchers along Pak She Praya Road for two days to catch a glimpse of the largely nocturnal hunter.
The reporter spotted the owl at around 7pm on both days, with the bird swooping down to the waterfront from the northern woods and staying in the area for about three hours each time. While it spent most of its time scanning the waters for food, the bird gave the occasional piercing stare at the crowd and every once in a while used its sharp talons to catch fish swimming along the water’s surface. University student Frankie Kwok Yuen-fan said he rushed to the island after seeing posts of the owl on social media.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen an owl. It felt wonderful seeing a bird so elusive,” the amateur birdwatcher said. “I only started birdwatching about one year ago, but I already feel overwhelmed about the birds Hong Kong has.
” For many such as Han Wenjiang, a tourist from mainland China visiting the island for the first time, the owl comes as a surprise. He said he was drawn by the sight of all the photographers. “I didn’t know owls existed in Hong Kong.
A lot of my friends recommended that I visit the island because of the food and aesthetic,” the 22-year-old said. “But I think the owl also creates a uniqueness for Cheung Chau.” Brown fish owls are sizeable birds of prey, measuring 48 to 58cm in length, with a plumage comprising shades of beige, brown and buff.
They have large round eyes, yellow irises, a dirty white throat, thin fine lines running down their beige bodies and featherless legs. True to their name, the avians’ diet consists of fish, but also other small marine animals, amphibians, snakes and even rodents. According to the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS), brown fish owls are widespread in the city, but thinly distributed across the New Territories, Lantau Island and Cheung Chau, with occasional sightings on Hong Kong Island.
In November 2008, the brown fish owl was cited by the society’s annual bird report as a “new locality” in Cheung Chau. “Hong Kong has recorded 11 owl species so far. Five of them, including the brown fish owl, are resident species, meaning they call Hong Kong ‘home’ and live here all year long,” HKBWS research officer Jay Kong Pak-yung said.
Animal photography enthusiast Vincent Wong Lai-kit said his recent trip was his third time seeing the owl, having first spotted it on the island back in 2021. “They are beautiful animals to witness,” the 67-year-old retiree said. “I never tire of seeing it, knowing it has a stable record on Cheung Chau.
” Seafood restaurants near where photographers had set up have embraced the owl’s popularity over the past few weeks, highlighting that its presence has helped with business. A man working at the So Bor Kee Seafood Restaurant, who gave the surname Lee, said that while the owl had been a “regular” at the waterfront for the past few years, he felt the crowds had become much larger recently. Viewing the owl as a blessing that brought “good fortune”, the 34-year-old said: “Sometimes, out of more than 50 photographers present, maybe around 10 to 15 of them will eat at the restaurant along with other diners.
“The owl’s popularity has helped us especially on slow days when there aren’t a lot of people passing by, or during the bad weather occurring recently.” Similarly, a woman surnamed Tsang, who works at the neighbouring Hing Lok Restaurant, said she had also seen a slight increase in customers over the past two weeks, including some photographers hoping to see the owl. “We’re grateful that the large crowd helps us somewhat, but this won’t last forever,” said the woman, who is in her fifties.
“Eventually, the photographers will lose interest once they’ve gotten all the shots they want. But despite business being slower than [pre-pandemic] days, we’re glad the owl can draw attention to Cheung Chau.” Aside from Hong Kong, brown fish owls can be found in the eastern and southern parts of mainland China, as well as the Middle East and much of South and Southeast Asia.
The birds inhabit shrubland and woodland with nearby water, such as freshwater streams, coasts and reservoirs. Due to its large range, brown fish owls are considered of “least concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List”, which classifies various species’ threat of extinction, but the global population is believed to be declining. Owls have an average lifespan of nine to 10 years, but larger ones may live longer due to lower levels of predation.
.
