Spoon-billed sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)

Species information

Images

Threats

With very particular habitat requirements, high nest site fidelity and a small population, habitat loss has had a large impact on this species. As with many coastal regions, tidal mudflats are being reclaimed for industry or aquaculture. Pollution, climate change and human disturbance have also altered the habitat of this species, and hunting of shorebirds contributes to the decline of the spoon-billed sandpiper. Recent population surveys indicate an extremely rapid decline in this species, with reduced productivity, leading to fears that the population is ageing rapidly (2).

Conservation

The spoon-billed sandpiper is protected in several areas throughout its range but would benefit from enforced legal protection wherever it is present. Shorebird hunting is prolific and affects many species; a ban would have wide-ranging benefits. A Species Action Plan was produced for the spoon-billed sandpiper in 2008, but urgent conservation action is now required to prevent its extinction (2).