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.

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Taiwan honored for preserving black-faced spoonbill

Toronto, June 23 (CNA) In recognition of its efforts to preserve the black-faced spoonbill, an endangered bird species, Taiwan received the "International Conservation Achievement Award" from BirdLife International in Ottawa, Canada Saturday.

BirdLife International is a UK-based global partnership of conservation organizations that strives to save birds and their habitats.

The 2013 Conservation Achievement Awards were awarded at a ceremony during BirdLife's World Conference, held from June 17 through 22 in Ottawa, Canada.

BirdLife's Conservation Achievement Awards are presented to individuals or institutions, including governments, trusts, foundations and companies, that have made especially significant contributions towards delivering a specific conservation action for a priority species, site or habitat within BirdLife's Strategy, according to the organization's official website.

The awards were presented on Saturday by BirdLife's Honorary President, Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan, to Chen Yen-ling, an official from Taiwan's Council of Agriculture, and Huang Kuang-ying, an official of Taijiang National Park Headquarters.

Every level of the Taiwanese government is dedicated to conservation, Chen said in the acceptance speech, noting that the government has established 89 conservation reserves, occupying 19.21 percent of the country's land.

In addition, Taiwan is preserving the black-faced spoonbill through education about conservation, research, and creating more wetlands, Chen added.

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