The Cotai Ecological Reserve welcomed this year’s first batch of wintering black-faced spoonbills at the end of last month, according to a statement by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) yesterday.
The statement pointed out that at least 52 black-faced spoonbills and six Eurasian spoonbills (aka Platalea leucorodia) have been observed in the ecological zone.
Wintering black-faced spoonbills (aka Platalea minor) are mainly found in several small areas, including in China (mainland, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and Japan, according to Wikipedia, which points out that both the black-faced spoonbills and Eurasian spoonbills, which are wading birds of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, are found only in East and Southeast Asia.
Moreover, the bureau announced in the statement that the ecological reserve’s Ecological Zone I and II will organise four 2-hour guided tours, each one comprising up to 100 birdwatchers, which will take place on two days with two sessions each, beginning at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. this Saturday and on December 16 respectively.
The bureau also said that it will hold two “Birdwatching in the Wetlands” tours monthly during the migratory bird season until next April. Next month’s tours will start at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. this Saturday, offering up to 40 places. During the two-and-a-half-hour visits, according to the statement, the birders will be assisted by a guide when walking along the route and entering the bird-watching posts where they can watch the birds through telescopes provided by the bureau and listen to the explanations by an ornithologist.
Black-faced spoonbills are an endangered species, according to the Swiss-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In the 2022 global census, the black-faced spoonbill population was recorded at 6,162 individuals, according to a report by The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
Registrations for the tours and other regular activities slated to be held next month start today via https://www.dspa.gov.mo/ecozonevisit.aspx or the DSPA hotline 2876 2626, the statement noted.
This undated handout photo provided by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) yesterday shows a flock of wintering black-faced spoonbills resting at the Cotai Ecological Reserve.
