Rare spoon-billed sandpiper spotted in S China's Guangdong

A spoon-billed sandpiper, a species under first-class state protection in China, forages on Santouzui beach, Xitou township, Yangxi county, Yangjiang city, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Photo/Chen Jie)

Spoon-billed sandpipers, a species under first-class state protection in China, have recently been spotted on the beach of Xitou township, Yangxi county, Yangjiang city, south China’s Guangdong Province, during the migration season for migratory birds.

Known as the "bird with its own spoon," the spoon-billed sandpiper is a critically endangered species identified in the Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union. Only five were found in Yangxi County this year, two more than last year.

The Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province and the Commissioner's Office of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration in Guangzhou jointly launched a campaign at the end of October this year, with the aim of raising awareness among the public of improving wildlife protection and actively participating in the protection of migratory birds.

Guangdong has also intensified efforts to protect and restore the important nodes along the birds’ migration routes in the province, and actively built migrant post stations during the migration season.