Unique wader threatened with extinction
13/07/2007 00:00:00
December 2006. The population of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus,) a charismatic wader with a remarkable, unique spatulate bill, has declined by more than 80% over the last 30 years, and experts are desperate to find out why before the species dwindles to extinction.
‘We believe there are less than 400 breeding pairs of Spoon-billed Sandpipers left, and we urgently need to find out why they are disappearing’ said Mike Crosby of BirdLife International.
‘We believe there are less than 400 breeding pairs of Spoon-billed Sandpipers left, and we urgently need to find out why they are disappearing’ said Mike Crosby of BirdLife International.
Spoon-billed Sandpipers breed during June–July in a small strip of coastal Arctic tundra in Chuchotka, NE Russia. They migrate thousands of kilometres to winter along coasts in South and South-East Asia. Currently, they are classified as Endangered.
Experts from 10 Asian countries along the Spoon-billed Sandpiper’s flyways recently drew up an International Species Action Plan. ‘The Plan recommends improved habitat protection and places an emphasis on encouraging governments to take necessary measures to protect the species and its threatened habitat,’ said Dr Christoph Zöckler of ArcCona Consulting Cambridge, UK, one of the organisers of the meeting.
Threats to the Spoon-billed Sandpiper on its breeding areas include predation, human disturbance and the drying out of tundra habitat due to climate change.
‘However, we believe the main reasons for the species decline are along migratory flyways, where large-scale drainage of tidal mudflats to ‘reclaim’ land for agriculture, urban expansion and industrial development have greatly reduced the species’ feeding areas, especially at stop-over sites,’ said Dr Zöckler. ‘The problems caused by habitat loss are exacerbated by the hunting and trapping of shorebirds for food in some countries,’ he added.
The Inner Gulf of Thailand between is one of only 3 known regular wintering sites for the species worldwide. ‘The Inner Gulf is a vital location for Spoon-billed Sandpipers,’ said Kritsana Kaewplong of the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST, BirdLife in Thailand), the local organiser of the workshop. ‘Around 10 to 20 birds are seen in the area each winter, which represents a significant percentage of the global population.’
In Thailand, Spoon-billed Sandpipers feed on salt pans, and a continuation of this and other sustainable uses by local people in the coastal zone may be important in maintaining the species’ habitat. A survey of sites in the Inner Gulf for Spoon-billed Sandpipers found a total of 11 birds at 4 locations, one of them a previously unknown site for the species.
‘Regular surveys of Spoon-billed Sandpipers are vital for finding out whether the Action Plan is having the desired effect,’ explained Kaewplong.
The Action Plan workshop was hosted by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, on the initiative of BirdLife International, BCST and ArcCona Consulting, and was financially supported by the Manfred Hermsen Foundation, Bremen, and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK). Survey work in the Inner Gulf of Thailand was supported by the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, Tokyo.
Experts from 10 Asian countries along the Spoon-billed Sandpiper’s flyways recently drew up an International Species Action Plan. ‘The Plan recommends improved habitat protection and places an emphasis on encouraging governments to take necessary measures to protect the species and its threatened habitat,’ said Dr Christoph Zöckler of ArcCona Consulting Cambridge, UK, one of the organisers of the meeting.
Threats to the Spoon-billed Sandpiper on its breeding areas include predation, human disturbance and the drying out of tundra habitat due to climate change.
‘However, we believe the main reasons for the species decline are along migratory flyways, where large-scale drainage of tidal mudflats to ‘reclaim’ land for agriculture, urban expansion and industrial development have greatly reduced the species’ feeding areas, especially at stop-over sites,’ said Dr Zöckler. ‘The problems caused by habitat loss are exacerbated by the hunting and trapping of shorebirds for food in some countries,’ he added.
The Inner Gulf of Thailand between is one of only 3 known regular wintering sites for the species worldwide. ‘The Inner Gulf is a vital location for Spoon-billed Sandpipers,’ said Kritsana Kaewplong of the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST, BirdLife in Thailand), the local organiser of the workshop. ‘Around 10 to 20 birds are seen in the area each winter, which represents a significant percentage of the global population.’
In Thailand, Spoon-billed Sandpipers feed on salt pans, and a continuation of this and other sustainable uses by local people in the coastal zone may be important in maintaining the species’ habitat. A survey of sites in the Inner Gulf for Spoon-billed Sandpipers found a total of 11 birds at 4 locations, one of them a previously unknown site for the species.
‘Regular surveys of Spoon-billed Sandpipers are vital for finding out whether the Action Plan is having the desired effect,’ explained Kaewplong.
The Action Plan workshop was hosted by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, on the initiative of BirdLife International, BCST and ArcCona Consulting, and was financially supported by the Manfred Hermsen Foundation, Bremen, and the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK). Survey work in the Inner Gulf of Thailand was supported by the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, Tokyo.
