The city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong province has become an ideal habitat for migratory species, including the spoon-billed sandpipers, 43 of which were observed there this winter, according to a global survey from Jan 25 to 26.

Focusing on the global migratory situation of the sandpipers, a critically endangered bird species, the survey was sponsored by the Zhanjiang Bird Watching Society, the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve and the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.

The survey was conducted with the aim of providing better insights into the geographic distribution and migratory number of the rare bird species, via simultaneous close observations during the migratory period from Jan 26 to Feb 6 in several countries, including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Due to its lush ecological environment and improved protection work, Zhanjiang ranked first in terms of the sandpipers' population in China, according to the survey.

The spoon-billed sandpiper is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). There are currently 240 to 400 specimens remaining in the world.

According to the members of the Zhanjiang Bird Watching Society and the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, the intertidal zones in Zhanjiang's Leizhou Island have become an important migratory winter habitat for several endangered species, including spoon-billed sandpipers, larus saundersi, black-faced spoonbill and great knots.

Two spoon-billed sandpipers enjoy their time in the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve, Guangdong province. [Photo/yinsha.com]

Zhanjiang has become an ideal habitat for spoon-billed sandpipers, a critically endangered bird species listed by the IUCN. [Photo/yinsha.com]