Rare bird rescue hits new milestone

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation breeding programme is a collaboration between WWT, Birds Russia, Moscow Zoo and the RSPB working with colleagues from the BTO, BirdLife International, ArcCona and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force.

Efforts to save one of the world’s rarest and most unusual birds have today (Monday 19 December) taken another step forward.

Spoon-billed sandpipers, brought to the UK from Far East Russia, have been moved out of quarantine into purpose built quarters at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Gloucestershire.

The 13 birds will form the basis of a breeding population providing a safety net against extinction should the wild population continue its dramatic decline. It is intended that their descendents will be released into the wild.

There are thought to be fewer than 100 pairs of spoon-billed sandpipers left in the wild. Hunting and the destruction of stopover sites on the birds’ migration route have caused numbers to plunge by 90% in a decade. The breeding programme at WWT could save the species from extinction.

Nigel Jarrett, Head of Conservation Breeding at WWT, said: “These birds would normally range from the frozen Arctic to tropical coastal wetlands in South-East Asia and despite being held in unnatural surroundings they have done very well.

“The new site at WWT’s headquarters at Slimbridge is purpose-built and a little larger than the quarantine area. It is crucial we keep it warm because at this stage in the birds’ lives they’d normally be in the tropics.

“In some ways we’re going into the unknown now but every day that passes is a success. The priority is to keep the birds alive and healthy so that eventually they can breed.”

To bring the birds to Britain, Nigel Jarrett and WWT colleague Martin McGill spent weeks with biologists from Birds Russia searching for nests on the remote tundra in Chukotka, Far East Russia.

Their long and arduous expedition was backed by the RSPB and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force which was established by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership in December 2010.

Eggs found by the experts were hatched in special facilities on site and the young chicks transported to Moscow.

After a period in Moscow Zoo, the birds were flown to Heathrow then transferred inside cushioned and insulated boxes to quarantine buildings at Slimbridge.

They will receive 24-hour care inside the new area where CCTV cameras are enabling WWT staff to watch the birds constantly. Footage from the cameras is also being broadcast to public screens at WWT.

The spoon-billed sandpiper is an iconic bird for anyone interested in wildlife. Progress in attempts to save the bird is being followed by thousands of people worldwide.

The RSPB’s Andre Farrar said: “It’s clear that success, ultimately, must be judged in boosting the wild population. If the descendents of these birds make the return to the wild then we will know we have succeeded. But for now, we should celebrate a very significant milestone.”

Nigel Clark from the BTO, an expert on wading birds who also helped with the spoon-billed sandpipers’ transfer from Russia, said: “It was wonderful to see the birds for the first time. To release them into an environment that was completely new and watch them start to explore and feed, was one of those moments that convinces me that the project to save the spoon-billed sandpiper is really worthwhile. It is testament to the dedication of many people that these birds are now so strong and healthy."

Ends

For more information contact the WWT press office on 01453 891176 or email prteam@wwt.org.uk

www.wwt.org.uk

Footage of the Chukotka expedition is here http://youtu.be/6a2c9jVCeZw and is available for editing here https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1314627106/131f45215d35f3353341bf43b5651df0

CCTV footage of the spoon-billed sandpipers in new quarters at WWT is here https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1316558888/a120afb1416ef9908684b245c16fc28a

Expedition and spoon-billed sandpiper images at https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/6496450/1/SBS?h=3c0ee9

Notes to Editors:

  • Unlike any other bird, spoon-billed sandpipers are born with a spoon-shaped bill which they use to search for food in inter-tidal mud. The bill is flattened at the tip to the size and shape of a penny. Other wading birds develop specialised bills as they mature.
  • The spoon-billed sandpiper is the size of a sparrow,
  • The East Asian-Australasian Flyway is one of nine major migratory waterbird migration routes around the globe. It extends from within the Arctic Circle in Russia and Alaska, south through East and South-East Asia, to Australia and New Zealand, encompassing 22 countries. Migratory waterbirds share this flyway with 45% of the world's human population. It is home to more than 50 million migratory waterbirds, including shorebirds, ducks, geese, swans and cranes, from over 250 different populations, including 28 globally threatened species.
  • The Saemangeum wetland on South Korea’s Yellow Sea coast was thought to be the most important migration stop-off for spoon-billed sandpipers and around 30 other bird species. In 2006, the site was largely destroyed by the construction of a 20-mile wall to dam and reclaim the land.
  • BirdLife International, through Birds Russia, is the lead organisation for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership’s Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force. Christoph Zöckler of ArcCona Consulting coordinates the task force on behalf of Birds Russia. Moscow Zoo and the Convention on Migratory Species are also closely involved in efforts to save the spoon-billed sandpiper.
  • The UK Spoon-billed Sandpiper Support Group, chaired by Nigel Clark of the BTO, was established in 2010 to co-ordinate the work of individuals and organisations in the UK working to save the species.
  • Share this article