A Chau () is a small uninhabited island in the southeast of Starling Inlet (Sha Tau Kok Hoi), off Nam Chung, in the north-eastern New Territories of Hong Kong. It is under the administration of North District, and falls within the Closed Area.
Geography Starling Inlet is a sheltered bay in the north-eastern New Territories of Hong Kong with a surface area of approximately 500 hectares. It is surrounded by fragmentary wetlands and hills. A Chau is a small island in the southeast of the bay. It is covered with vegetation and has a landmass of around one hectare.
Fauna A Chau has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1985.Environment Protection Department - Site of Special Scientific Interest The fauna of the island includes night heron, little egret, great egret, black-headed gull and herring gull. It is also a breeding site for the passage migrants. It was reported in 2007 that A Chau was the largest egretry in Hong Kong and may also have been one of the most important night roosting sites for the ardeids in winter. A 2001 survey found that A Chau was the nesting site for the majority of great egrets, cattle egrets, and black-crowned night herons in Hong Kong, hosting 63%, 46%, and 71% of those respective species' nests.
During the early 2000s, several threats to the birds of A Chau were noted, including illegal collection of eggs and young, invasive climbers, and human disturbances at nearby wetlands.
See also List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong Yim Tso Ha
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