The bird that flew 8,000 km

Russian scientists tagged a spoon-billed sandpiper in last July. Nine months later, it migrated to India. Dhanapal Kondasamy traces its history

On July 6, 2025, ornithologists N. Karlionova and D Nizovtsev, from the Russian Academy of Sciences (Birds Russia Expedition) at Meinypilgyno, south-east Chukotka, tagged a wild chick of the Spoon-billed sandpiper (SBS). They hoped that the lime-green tag bearing the marking “2K” would be sighted along its migratory routes, providing useful information about this critically endangered species.

After nearly nine months, it was sighted by birdwatchers from the Kolkata Birding Society on 30 March 2026 at Patibunia beach, south of Kolkata. This was a notable sighting of the rare species along the West Bengal coast in recent years. The tagged bird made an approximately 8,000 km journey from its breeding grounds. With a global population estimated at roughly 150–450 breeding pairs, this sighting created excitement among the Indian birding community. Birders from across the country travelled to see this rare bird. I also flew from Bengaluru with my friends and saw it on April 3, 2026.

The Spoon-billed sandpiper is a small, charismatic wader, closely related to stints, and is distinguished by its unique spatulate (spoon-shaped) bill. It is endemic to the far north-east of Russia, where it breeds exclusively in coastal tundra—cold, treeless landscapes often underlain by permafrost—along a discontinuous stretch of roughly 4,500 km. Its principal breeding grounds lie in Chukotka and parts of northern Kamchatka.

Chicks typically hatch between June and July, and most birds begin leaving their breeding grounds by August. The earliest migrants are recorded in Japan and South Korea from early August, with peak passage occurring in September.

With a body roughly the length of a mobile phone and weighing little more than a light bulb, the Spoon-billed sandpiper undertakes an extraordinary migration each year. It travels across 12–14 countries, from its breeding grounds in Russia to wintering sites as far as India and Southeast Asia, covering around 8,000 km along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. This long-distance migration allows the species to escape the harsh Arctic tundra and reach warmer, food-rich tropical coastal habitats.

The history

The species has a fascinating scientific history. It was first described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. Despite its distinctive bill, it was only later—by the early 19th century—that it was recognised as sufficiently unique to be placed in its own genus, Eurynorhynchus, among the waders. Its breeding grounds remained unknown to science until 1879, when the Vega Expedition, led by Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, explored the Arctic coast of Chukotka in Siberia.

At the time, the species appeared to be relatively common during spring migration. Historical accounts from the expedition note that it was occasionally collected and even served at the expedition’s table. However, the birds were not encountered later in the season, indicating that they had already departed their breeding grounds to migrate southward in search of abundant food.

A century later, in 1978, the Spoon-billed sandpiper was listed in the official Red Data Book of the former Soviet Union as a species with restricted distribution and limited population. A rapid population decline was not recognised until around 2000, when Arctic expeditions by the Russian Academy of Sciences began regular surveys. The population was estimated at no more than 1,000 breeding pairs, far below the earlier figure of 2,000–2,800 pairs. Later estimates suggested fewer than 450 pairs. This led to its status changing from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered” in 2004, and to “Critically Endangered” in 2008.

The population has declined over the last 30 years to an estimated 150–450 breeding pairs. The destruction of intertidal mudflats, particularly along migration routes through China, Japan, and South Korea, is a major cause. Habitat loss, hunting, and pollution directly contribute to the decline, with climate change acting indirectly.

To prevent extinction, the first Action Plan was developed in 2008 to address threats such as hunting and trapping. Key habitats covering about 830,000 ha across Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, South Korea, and Thailand have since been protected.

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery Team was formed in 2004 and became a Task Force under the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership in 2010. It promotes sustainable coastal management and advocates limiting coastal reclamation, especially along China’s coast.

However, continued annual declines of about 5% led to a new Action Plan, the “International Single Species Action Plan” (2025–2035), adopted by EAAFP in November 2025. It is coordinated by BirdLife International with support from the Convention on Migratory Species.

The plan aims to ensure the long-term survival of the species and identifies 9 objectives, 18 results, and 75 priority actions. Hunting and habitat loss remain the most serious threats.

As a rare and charismatic bird from remote parts of Russia, the species has attracted collectors. In the mid-2000s, private collectors reportedly offered large sums, and about 17% of breeding sites have been affected. According to global waterbird assessments, around 40% of waterbird populations are declining worldwide, rising to about 59% in Asia. Coastal reclamation, aquaculture, tourism, pollution, and climate change continue to drive habitat loss.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site represents one of the highest levels of international recognition for biodiversity conservation. A chain of such sites along the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea coasts is being expanded and would be important for protecting the species’ habitat.

(The writer is a retired forest officer from Tamil Nadu, settled in Bengaluru. He is an ardent birdwatcher)