The Black-faced Spoonbill: Asia’s beloved wading bird fights for space

2nd November 2015 / Doug Meigs

This charismatic wading bird saw its numbers soar from just 288 individuals in the 1980’s, to over 3,000 in 2015, but coastal developers will need to find a way to share intertidal areas with these birds if they are to survive.

The Black-faced Spoonbill, with its fascinating feeding behaviors, has won the hearts of birders and the Asian public, making it a signature umbrella species for establishing coastal preserves that protect many other less charismatic bird species.

The long-term conservation of this migratory species will require a commitment to protecting summer nesting grounds and winter roosting grounds, plus resting areas along the coasts of Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

Rapid population growth and coastal development for homes, recreation, industry, aquaculture and agriculture are the major threat to the species, and their preservation depends on ongoing human attention and intervention.

Continued …