The spoon-billed sandpiper, affectionately nicknamed the \"little spoon\" for its unique spoon-shaped beak, is a small bird measuring just 14-16 centimeters in length. This remarkable bird showcases dramatic changes in its plumage between seasons. During the summer months, its feathers display rich hues of black and brownish-red, while in winter, it adopts a more subdued palette of grayish-brown and white. Despite these seasonal changes, the spoon-billed sandpiper remains easily recognizable in the wild thanks to its distinctive feeding behavior—sweeping its beak side to side in the water or mud to collect food.
Tragically, the spoon-billed sandpiper is critically endangered, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining worldwide. In the breeding season, these birds inhabit tundra marshes, grasslands, and lakes along the Arctic shore. As the breeding season concludes, they migrate to the shallows and mudflats of coastal and estuarine areas for the non-breeding season.
Every year, from July to August, the spoon-billed sandpiper embarks on a long migration to the Yellow Sea coastal wetland in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, east China. This wetland is a crucial stopover on the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, a migratory route renowned for its high concentration of endangered bird species.
The Yancheng wetland serves as a vital \"rest stop\" and \"fueling station\" for the spoon-billed sandpiper during its arduous journey. Here, the birds spend two to three months molting and gaining weight before continuing their migration to their southern wintering grounds. Protecting these wetlands is essential for the survival of this unique and endangered species.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
