Success at Russian breeding grounds lightens grief over chick deaths
Thirty spoon-billed sandpiper chicks have been hatched by conservationists in Russia over the weekend, writes Mark Simpson of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust today. The good news follows the tragic death last week of the world’s first captive-bred spoon-billed sandpipers.
The Russian chicks have been hatched from eggs taken from the wild by experts from WWT and Birds Russia, as part of a strategy known as ‘headstarting’ which runs in parallel to the captive breeding programme at Slimbridge in the UK, and will be released into the wild in three weeks time.
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| First of the Class of 2016 to hatch |
Thirty spoon-billed sandpiper chicks have been hatched by conservationists in Russia over the weekend, writes Mark Simpson of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust today. The good news follows the tragic death last week of the world’s first captive-bred spoon-billed sandpipers.
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| Sadly, this chick hatched in Gloucestershire didn't make it (c) Ben Cherry |
The Russian chicks have been hatched from eggs taken from the wild by experts from WWT and Birds Russia, as part of a strategy known as ‘headstarting’ which runs in parallel to the captive breeding programme at Slimbridge in the UK, and will be released into the wild in three weeks time.
With only around 200 pairs of this critically endangered
species left in the wild, headstarting ensures at least some chicks avoid
danger from predators and extreme weather during the perilous time before they
can fly.
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| Chukotka incubator with spoonie booty |
This is the fifth year of headstarting and so far 81
fully fledged spoon-billed sandpipers have been released into the wild,
increasing the number of young leaving the birds’ breeding ground in Russia by
20%.
Further good news has come from New Zealand company
Heritage Expeditions, which last week discovered spoon-billed sandpipers
breeding at a spot in Kamchatka to south of Chukotka where they haven’t been
seen for over 10 years.
WWT’s Head of Conservation Breeding Nigel Jarrett said: “It’s fantastic to hear good news after an emotional week
last week. The captive breeding programme is just one part of the massive
effort to save the spoon-billed sandpiper."
“The headstarting project is shaping up for another
phenomenally successful year," said Jarrett. Overall this strategy has worked better than we
dared imagine. Each year, birds that were headstarted as chicks are returning
to breed, which is the best sign that they are as healthy and strong as their
parent-reared counterparts.
Birds Russia’s Chief Executive Dr. Evgeny Syroechkovskiy said: “Heritage Expeditions have turned up trumps this year and it’s brilliant news. Each summer they survey some of the most remote and inaccessible places on earth, searching for breeding spoonies. Each discovery like this could provide a vital clue or a vital opportunity to help us in ensuring a future for the spoon-billed sandpiper.”
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| Evgeny Syroechoviskiy, Birds Russia |
Birds Russia’s Chief Executive Dr. Evgeny Syroechkovskiy said: “Heritage Expeditions have turned up trumps this year and it’s brilliant news. Each summer they survey some of the most remote and inaccessible places on earth, searching for breeding spoonies. Each discovery like this could provide a vital clue or a vital opportunity to help us in ensuring a future for the spoon-billed sandpiper.”
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| Spoonie in Kamchatka (c) Lisle Gwynn/Heritage Expeditions |
Ian Fisher from the RSPB, a key partner in the work to
save spoon-billed sandpipers, said:
"Head-starting is turning out to be a valuable
quick-win in the conservation toolkit for spoonies, and the team in Russia
should be congratulated on their incredible success."
Last week the first two spoon-billed sandpiper chicks
ever bred in captivity hatched at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, UK, but
both died within days. Experts are waiting for post mortem results to determine
the cause of death.
The text is copied from a press release issued by WWT on Tuesday 12th July 2016.
The text is copied from a press release issued by WWT on Tuesday 12th July 2016.
