Critically endangered, highly distinctive stint with spatulate bill tip that can be difficult to spot at a distance when held in profile. Perilously close to extinction, the spoon-billed sandpiper now faces a rosier future thanks to ground breaking conservation and state of the art technology.
Spoon-billed Sandpiper: This species is listed as Critically Endangered because it has an extremely small population, with a lower bound that is thought to now fall below 250 mature individuals in a single population, that is undergoing a rapid continuing decline in excess of 25% in one generation (with a current estimated 8% annual reduction), and has suffered an extremely rapid population reduction in the previous three generations. The current rate of decline is thought to represent a minor improvement on that over the past three generations but remains very rapid and it still qualifies at the level of Endangered based on the estimated/projected current and future three-generation rate of population reduction. A number of factors are driving the decline, including habitat loss in its breeding, passage and wintering grounds, compounded by disturbance, pollution, and the effects of climate change, however the impact of indiscriminate shorebird hunting appears to be the most immediate and severe threat. Juvenile recruitment has, until recently, been very low, leading to fears that the population is ageing rapidly. Extensive conservation work has likely driven the slowing rate of decline, but much more work is required to prevent the extinction of this species.
Nordmann's Greenshank: This species is listed as Endangered because it has a very small population which is declining as a result of the development of coastal wetlands throughout its range, principally for industry, infrastructure projects and aquaculture. Preliminary analyses of survey data collected at its breeding sites in Russia have provided evidence that the species's population is indeed undergoing a very rapid decline; clarification of these results may lead to a review of its threat status in the near future.
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper at the salt pans area in Pak Thale.
Population
Spoon-billed Sandpiper: 240-620, 490 mature individuals
Nordmann's Greenshank: 600-1300 mature individuals
