Recently, the Black-faced Spoonbill, known as the "Panda of Birds," has been spotted in a wetland area in a village in Xiuxiu Town, Xiuying District, Haikou. Experts have stated that this is the first time the Black-faced Spoonbill has been recorded on the west coast of Haikou, and it is also the first batch of Black-faced Spoonbills to winter in Haikou this year.
The Black-faced Spoonbill is a globally endangered species and a national first-class protected animal. It gets its name from its flat, spoon-like long bill, which closely resembles the Chinese musical instrument, the pipa. According to the 2024 global synchronized census of Black-faced Spoonbills released by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, a total of 6,988 Black-faced Spoonbills were recorded, an increase of 5.4% compared to last year. In Haikou, the Black-faced Spoonbill has been found wintering in Dongzhaigang for seven consecutive years since 2017.
The discovery this time was made by Haikou birdwatching enthusiast Yuan Yuan at noon on November 16th. "There were two Black-faced Spoonbills, one large and one small. The smaller one was lively and adorable; it was taking a bath in the water when I found it," Yuan told reporters. Longtouxiacun Village has a vast wetland with lush aquatic plants, making it an important stopover and wintering site for migratory birds on the west coast of Haikou. "I wanted to check if the wild ducks had arrived for the winter, and I didn't expect to find Black-faced Spoonbills."
"This is the first time the Black-faced Spoonbill has been recorded on the west coast of Haikou," said Lu Gang, the director of the Haikou Duotan Wetland Research Institute. Currently, it is the migration season for the Black-faced Spoonbill. Based on previous monitoring, they migrate between Dongzhaigang in Haikou, Xinying Wetland in Lingao, Danzhou Bay, and the Dongfang Black-faced Spoonbill Nature Reserve, which is along the west coast of Hainan. If there is a suitable habitat for them, the Black-faced Spoonbills are likely to stay.
Lu Gang indicated that the appearance of the Black-faced Spoonbills in Longtouxiacun suggests that the area has an environment suitable for their lives, with minimal disturbances and abundant food. Additionally, the fact that the Black-faced Spoonbills were spotted by birdwatching enthusiasts also demonstrates that the force of birdwatching and bird-loving in Haikou is growing stronger.
Source:TheHaikouGuide
