HAIKOU, April 7. /TASS/. Several birds belonging to a critically endangered species called spoon billed sandpipers, have successfully wintered on Hainan. According to the Hainan Daily newspaper, the birds, which migrated from Russia, were last seen by Chinese amateur ornithologists in Danzhou Bay.
On March 16, ornithologists managed to photograph one of the birds bearing a band with the inscription "C2" on its right leg. This indicates that the bird had been ringed and was under observation by scientists studying the migration routes of birds. This particular specimen was bred in Chukotka and released into the wild in July of last year.
The banded bird has become very famous among ornithologists and wildlife enthusiasts in China. It was given the nickname "C2 Wanzi" (literal translation "C2 Prince"). It was first spotted in Hainan on November 24, 2021, when a photographer from the Danzhou Bay Bird Protection Team managed to take a picture of it.
This bird was born on July 7, 2021 in an incubator out of eggs which were collected in the wild by ornithologists from the "A New Beginning" international project to preserve the offspring. On July 26, the birds were released into the wild in Chukotka, and they were last photographed in Russia on August 2. After that, the birds flew south for wintering and traveled thousands of kilometers before arriving in Hainan.
"After the discovery of the C2 Prince, we stepped up our monitoring and patrolling measures and educated locals about these birds. We urge everyone to be aware of the need to protect the chicks and to work together to preserve them," Chen Zhengping, head of the Danzhou Bay ornithological team, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
As the article notes, when the "spoonies" was first spotted in Hainan, many scientists were concerned that the chicks might die. However, seeing them on the island in March of this year was an important event for ornithologists because successful wintering suggests that the birds have learned to look for food and shelter from predators on their own, which greatly increases their chances of survival in the wild. As they point out, since Prince C2 has not yet reached reproductive age, it will most likely not return to its breeding grounds in Russia yet - in all likelihood, it will stay somewhere in Hainan until it becomes stronger.
Danzhou Bay has long been an important habitat for migratory waterfowl. At peak season, the population of birds there is more than 7,000 specimens. As of March 27 this year, Danzhou was home to 199 bird species, eight of which are on the brink of extinction and are included by the Chinese authorities in the first-degree national list of protected animals. Another 39 bird species are on the second-degree national list, and some 80 are on a similar list of protected animals in Hainan province.
About the bird
The spoon-billed sandpiper, also called "spoonie", is a small bird 14 to 16 cm long with a beak that resembles a spoon or paddle. The species is listed as critically endangered because of its small and constantly declining population. Scientists estimate that there are only about 200 pairs of spoon-billed sandpipers left in the world and they nest in Chukotka and northern Kamchatka.
The spoon-billed sandpiper, also called "spoonie", is a small bird 14 to 16 cm long with a beak that resembles a spoon or paddle. The species is listed as critically endangered because of its small and constantly declining population. Scientists estimate that there are only about 200 pairs of spoon-billed sandpipers left in the world and they nest in Chukotka and northern Kamchatka. These birds are included in the Red Book of Russia, the country's official list of rare and endangered animal species.