Artificially-bred bird from endangered species spotted in south China’s Hainan

A spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag marked “C2” was spotted at Danzhou Bay in south China’s Hainan Province on Nov. 24. It was the first time that an artificially-bred spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag was discovered in the province.

A spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag marked “C2” forages at Danzhou Bay, south China’s Hainan Province on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo/Shen You)

The spoon-billed sandpiper wearing the “C2” tag was born on July 6, 2021, at the breeding grounds of Chukchi, Russia. The bird was released into the wild on July 26. The last time it was seen in Chukchi was on Aug. 2.

The bird’s stopover has bolstered confidence in the species’ protection, according to Lu Gang, director of the Haikou Duotan Wetland Research Institute in the province.

The species is a critically endangered bird with a global population of just several hundred and is under first-class state protection in China. It is considered to be the “giant panda of birds.”

A spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag marked “C2” forages at Danzhou Bay, south China’s Hainan Province on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo/Shen You)

A spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag marked as “C2” forages at Danzhou Bay, south China’s Hainan Province on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo/Shen You)

A spoon-billed sandpiper wearing a tag marked as “C2” forages at Danzhou Bay, south China’s Hainan Province on Nov. 24, 2021. (Photo/Shen You)