Sonadia Island in Bangladesh, a wintering site for Spoon-billed Sandpipers, has been recognised by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). Photo: © Richard Thomas

Sonadia Island in Bangladesh, where 10% of the known population of the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus spends the winter, has been recognised as Bangladesh’s 20th Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.

“A series of recent surveys confirms that Bangladesh is still an extremely important wintering ground for Spoon-billed Sandpiper, and we identified Sonadia Island as the main wintering site in Bangladesh”, said Sayam U. Chowdhury, Principal Investigator of the Bangladesh Spoon-billed Sandpiper Conservation Project, a group of young conservationists who monitor the wader population, and work with local communities to raise awareness and reduce threats.

Sonadia Island also supports the globally Endangered Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer, and other threatened and Near Threatened birds such as Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa.

BirdLife Partners and others involved in the “Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper” project have been working at Sonadia since 2009, when hunting of waders on the mudflats was identified as a major threat to the fast-diminishing Spoon-billed Sandpiper population. Local hunters have now been trained and equipped for alternative, more secure and sustainable livelihoods. A very successful campaign has led to a better understanding of the importance of shorebird conservation in general, and a sense of pride and custodianship towards the Spoon-billed Sandpiper in particular.

”The work has gone extremely well, and we are trying to really deliver conservation through the local communities,” said Sayam Chowdhury.  “Through the provision of alternative livelihoods we have seen hunting reduced to almost zero.  Hunters are now working as fisherman, tailors and watermelon producers.  An awareness-raising event we held in December 2012 involved close to a thousand people, local government and non-governmental organisation representatives.”

Source: BirdLife Interenational media release, 22nd April 2013.

Read more about Sonadia Island and the thoughts of Rob Sheldon, the RSPB’s Head of International Species Recovery Team, who is visting the site currently on the RSPB Blog site.

© Mark Andrews

On May 5th OBC Council Member Mike Edgecombe will be attempting to cycle from the WWT reserve in Welney, Cambridgeshire, UK over 60 miles to Cley/Salthouse on the North Norfolk coast.

At the same time OBC Council Member John (3 peaks in 24hrs) Gregory will be running, along with a few others, from Titchwell RSPB reserve, racing against me to finish first at Salthouse.

Why are they doing this? Because there is a race on, a real race to save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper from extinction and this project urgently needs your support.

Please help these two intrepid OBC Council Members to raise as much money as possible to support the ongoing work to save Spoonie.

Please visit their joint JustGiving page  and in the words of Bob Geldof – “GIVE US YOUR MONEY”

Thank you!

Itinerary® by Jesper Hornskov **ALL RIGHTS RESERVED**

Temminck’s Tragopan is one of many spectacular species we hope to encounter on this tour to Yunnan. Photo © Richard Thomas

China’s southwestern-most province, Yunnan, has long been neglected as a destination by travelling birdwatchers. While neighbouring Sichuan certainly has a lot to offer ornithologically, Yunnan has now relaxed restrictions on access so that some of the least disturbed areas near the Burma border can be visited.

That avian delights of November in Yunnan easily match – and in some ways surpass – those of the more ‘obvious’ spring months of March/April is known first-hand to no more than a dozen intrepid souls.

Anyone susceptible to the allure of Thailand and the eastern Himalayas will look wistfully at a map of the region and regret that Burma looks set to remain a tricky destination for ornithological pilgrims for years to come: long-planned tours have been cancelled a few days before scheduled kick-off as the essential permits were whimsically withdrawn, and the situation remains volatile with considerable risk of renewed civil unrest. However, west of the mighty Salween river, in China, steadily improving infrastructure has made accessible a variety of essentially “Burmese” habitats, from forests between 300-2,800m above sea level to paddies & scrub swarming with winter visitors and passage migrants. On this trip we will spend 19 days here, following an itinerary which, drawing on unequalled birding experience in the area, has been carefully planned to maximise field time. We will have time to properly search for the specialities of these secretive forests before concluding our travels with a quick visit to picturesque Lijiang, home to the endemic Yunnan Nuthatch, east of the Salween biological divide.

Part of the charm of this scenically arresting, tucked-away and culturally still-authentic corner of the world is that it has yet to be discovered by Western Tourism (as recently as January/ February 2010 we saw just one other Westerner in the course of an 18 day trip!) – nonetheless roads are far better than one might suppose, our accommodations will be comfortable throughout (double rooms with private toilet & hot shower) and the hospitable climate ensures a year-round supply of fresh, palatable food. We’ll be expecting a species total of 380-450 on the tour – and anyone opting to arrive a day or two early would have the chance of connecting with some Palearctic ultra-heavyweights at Beijing ahead of the main trip!

Your leader Jesper Hornskov, an OBC Founder Member, is Danish. Having lived in China since 1987 he has clocked up well over 12 months’ birdwatching in Yunnan over 26 visits from early 1988, and has seen more species in China than any other birder.

For details on how to join, or for further information, please contact Jesper at

E-mail: goodbirdmail(at)gmail.com or goodbirdmail(at)126.com

Tel (fax on request) +86 10 8490 9652 NEW MOBILE +86 139 1124 0659

Or Michael Edgecombe (OBC Promotions Officer) via mail(at)orientalbirdclub.org

Or download more information: OBC Yunnan Nov2013 itinerary

OBC grants have previously supported conservation efforts for the Cheer Pheasant, a species threatened by habitat degradation, hunting and other pressures. (c) Richard Thomas / OBC

OBC makes an annual offer of small grants for bird conservation projects in the Oriental Region. The grants are particularly aimed at people resident in the region, to promote greater involvement in conservation. Grants can cover both research and practical conservation work and results are reported regularly in BirdingASIA.

We currently offer small grants of up to GBP 1500 (USD 2370 at today’s exchange rate).

The deadline for the 2013 offer is 31st March and final decisions on funding will be announced in early July. Full details (including funding priorities and how to apply)

Proposals should be submitted by email to mail@orientalbirdclub.org We confirm the receipt of all proposals by email (regretably, emails from Asia are often lost in transit, so please contact us again if you receive no response).

If members, at any time, learn of promising conservationists with good ideas for projects then please point them in the direction of the various grants offered by OBC.

Posted on behalf of Dave Buckingham, Chair OBC Conservation Committee

As ever, the issue is packed with the latest information and ornithological sightings from the Oriental region. It includes articles on the exciting rediscovery of Sillem’s Mountain Finch in China (see news item below), all the latest taxonomic changes and updates proposed for Asian birds plus updates on conservation breeding efforts to conserve the Spoon-billed Sandpiper right through to notes about the nesting of the rarely seen Hoogerwerf’s Pheasant in Sumatra.

The full contents and sample articles from each issue are posted here on the OBC website, but it’s a publication you simply can’t afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club’s peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

Laos and Cambodia, 24 February – 10 March 2013
The sixth Oriental Bird Club tour to Cambodia again includes the equally fascinating Laos, adding more rarities to this exciting tour. View details.

Mishmi Hills, Dibru Saikhowa & Nagaland, 26 April–11 May 2013
Join Sujan Chatterjee for a visit to these little-known areas. Travel is now easier than in the past and good accommodation and food are available at most of the locations visited!

North-east Tibet, Koko Nor, Roof of the World & SE Qinghai, 23 June – 14 July 2013
This popular tour will run again in 2013. Contact Mike Edgecombe for details.