Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, one of the world’s rarest wetlands birds

In 2010 Spoon-billed sandpipers stood on the edge of extinction as their migratory coastal wetland habitats in the Yellow Sea region were being destroyed in the world’s largest coastal land claim project. The previous largest such project in 2006 had destroyed Saemangeum, South Korea ; an important Yellow Sea water bird site, resulting in several species declining catastrophically. Vital international action was now needed to prevent even more species loss as it was discovered that Tiaozini in China which supported half the world’s spoon-billed sandpiper population during every autumn migration and it was this area that was up next for more land claim projects and more destruction of wetland bird’s coastal habitats.

Apart from being one of the world’s rarest waders, spoon-billed sandpipers are one of the smallest at only 15.25cm in length, they are only slightly longer than our more familiar little stint at 14.50cm in length. The smallest wader in the same region is (in spite of the name) the long-tailed stint at a tiny 13.50cm in length.

‘Spoonies’ are a most attractive breeding bird with a pattern of chestnut reds with creamy and buff on head and wings with dark brown streaking at the sides. The bill is blackish with its unique spatulate shape which they sweep from side to side when feeding in shallow water. They nest in the north-eastern tip of Siberia on coastal tundra preferring grassy banks adjacent to freshwater pools. On migration and in winter they like Asian mudflats and coastal lagoons, where they often associate with stints.

It was only 10 years ago when discovery was made that Tiaozini in China supported half the world’s spoon-billed sandpiper population on migration every autumn, just as permission was given for the site’s destruction by a coastal land claim project. Vital action was needed to prevent this and quickly; to conserve this coastal wetland habitat for wildlife.

It was clear the RSPB, Birdlife, the East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) and the commitment of China, from its top politicians, local governments and other individuals must come together to conserve these vital coastal wetlands. Inspirational action was taken to commission an independent report on the status of intertidal habitats, especially in the Yellow Sea. This was just ahead of a World Congress in 2012 at Jeju on the South Korean Yellow Sea coast, of which, consequently, the world’s governments had just adopted a resolution committing to conserve these wetlands.

Things started to move in 2014 with China and North & South Korea looking as to how they could implement this resolution, calling on Yellow Sea countries to consider a World Heritage site nomination of these vital wetlands and conserve the Yellow Sea habitats.

The breakthrough came in January 2017 when China added 14 Yellow Sea sites to their World Heritage tentative list. Later that year all three Yellow Sea nations made an historic decision to establish a Yellow Sea coastal wetland conservation working group.

This World Heritage site nomination was then submitted in January 2018 in almost record time with the vital site (for the spoon-billed sandpiper) of Tiaozini added later that year. Thankfully China listened and added Tiaozini to the nomination. So, in July 2019 these Yellow Sea sites including Tiaozini were inscribed on the World Heritage List. It was a wonderful result to see the billboards that had advertised the coastal reclamation plans replaced with signs promoting the new World Heritage Site.

Spoon-billed sandpiper at Tiaozini, Yancheng Province on China’s Yellow Sea coast.

Image by Dongming Li

To read more details on this conservation success story head to the RSBP website and click on-

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