Black-faced spoonbill

Black-faced spoonbill
Summer plumage at Niigata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Platalea
Species:
P. minor
Binomial name
Platalea minor
Wintering in Aogu Wetland, Taiwan

The black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a species of wading bird in the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, found in eastern Asia. This species has the most restricted distribution of the six spoonbill species, and it is the only one regarded as endangered. Spoonbills are large water birds with dorso-ventrally flattened, spatulate bills.[2] These birds use a tactile method of feeding, wading in the water and sweeping their beaks from side-to-side to detect prey.[3] Confined to the coastal areas of eastern Asia, it seems that it was once common throughout its area of distribution. It currently breeds only on a few small rocky islands off the west coast of North Korea, with four wintering sites at Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, as well as other places where they have been observed in migration. Wintering also occurs in Jeju, South Korea, Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan, and the Red River delta in Vietnam. More recently, sightings of black-faced spoonbill birds were noted in Thailand, the Philippines, and additional sites in China.[1]

The black-faced spoonbill was internationally classified as an endangered species by the IUCN in 2000. Nearly driven to global extirpation in the 1980s, conservation efforts amongst various Asian countries in recent years has helped in bringing its population back onto a steadily increasing trend.[4] The black-faced spoonbill population in the 2012 census was recorded at 2,693 birds, with an estimation of 1,600 mature birds. Breeding colonies occur between March and August, on small islands. In the 2022 global census, the black-faced spoonbill population was recorded at 6,162 individuals.[4]

Black-faced spoonbills are known to be crepuscular eaters, using intertidal mudflats.[1] Conservation efforts on protecting breeding sites and wintering sites have been made since, and surveys were taken in order to determine the opinions and awareness of the local residents, residing close to the black-faced spoonbill's natural habitats. One survey taken by Jin et al. 2008, inquired upon the 'Willingness-To-Pay" factor in the locals, as well as understanding effects on mandatory surcharges compared to voluntary payments.[3]

  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International (2017). "Platalea minor". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22697568A119347801. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22697568A119347801.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Swennen, C.; Yu, Y. (2005). "Food and Feeding Behavior of the Black-faced Spoonbill". Waterbirds. 28 (1): 19–27. doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2005)028[0019:fafbot]2.0.co;2. JSTOR 1522310. S2CID 84120382.
  3. ^ a b Jin, Jianjun; Wang, Zhishi; Liu, Xuemin (2008). "Valuing black-faced spoonbill conservation in Macao: A policy and contingent valuation study". Ecological Economics. 68 (1–2): 328–335. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.03.014.
  4. ^ a b "Black-faced Spoonbill population hits record high of 6,000". The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, 2022.