Neighbors of the Concrete Jungle

Written by Siyul Lee

I spent my childhood watching David Attenborough, dreaming of exploring the Bornean jungles through the television screen. But life got busier, as it does for everyone. My gaze shifted towards deadlines and the endless concrete jungle. Nature became a distant dream that I forgot about.

When I share my interest in birds with my peers, their first question is usually, ‘Do you like pigeons?’ I imagine them picturing me as someone who feeds scraps to overfed, lice-ridden doves. It’s tragic that our attitudes to wildlife center on indifference and disgust.  

Despite these perceptions, a 5-minute walk from KGV reveals a different story about the wild. Ma Tau Wai service reservoir is a quiet urban park that appears unremarkable; it consists only of a steep, concrete central road and many narrow byways surrounded by vegetation alongside rarely used sports courts. This is quite far from the lively name the park boasts - a ‘playground’. Nonetheless, if you pay attention to the trees at the park, you may start noticing small movements. People often disregard these as just ‘ordinary’ sparrows.

But a closer look at the ‘ordinary’ reveals they’re anything but. You may make eye contact with a curious brown boobook, or be surprised by a nightjar that seamlessly blends into the trees. Given a bit of luck, patience and skill, a fairy pitta might emerge from the undergrowth, a bird whose dazzling feathers belongs in a National Geographic documentary alongside otherworldly rainforest birds. Every bird is special in its own regard.

Unfortunately, very few people are aware that the park’s biodiversity has survived a crisis. In 2022, park managers began to clear vegetation for landscaping. Birds disappeared from the park. Migrant birds like the pitta were left without a vital refuge in the middle of urban Hong Kong. Then, a few birdwatchers, experts, and students came together to save the park. Through our relentless emailing and petitions, we managed to halt the cuttings. The birds returned the following autumn.

Nature often seemed beyond my reach. I watched the Kalimantan rainforests burn, yet felt powerless to do anything but watch. I waited for someone far away to solve the problem. It will never happen. But a walk into Ma Tau Wai reminded me that nature is never far away, only showing itself when I began noticing. 

If you need a pause from relentless schoolwork, packed schedules, or just the hectic urban life of Hong Kong, Ma Tau Wai is the place for you. Take in the scenery, enjoy the fresh air and look closer to the rustling leaves - it just might be a fairy pitta.

Special thanks to Stephen Matthews for collaborating on this project.