Slimbridge WWT Spoon-billed sandpiper rescue

WWT text and video at WWT - National WWT News

There are two clutches of eggs, totalling 7. All are being incubated artificially in the hope that the parents will lay further clutches. The eggs from the first clutch are not looking too good, the ones from the second pair look better, but it will be a few days before they know if any are fertile.

Alan
 
Has anyone recent news of the spoonies colony at Slimbridge ? Is the colony expanding or breeding success remain scarce ?
 
Indeed, it looks dark for the futureofthis small population.
It happen that in the time being, I have received a newsletter from Tragopan (a portable hide company for animal photography). Their guest is Gerrit Vyn and the following information were provided :

"This bird is critically endangered, with a current population of fewer than 1000 – mature individuals. The main threats to its survival are loss of tidal flats through its migratory and wintering range and poaching on his wintering grounds (in several countries). One of the important staging area at Saemangeum, South Korea, has already been partially reclaimed, and the remaining wetlands are under serious threat of reclamation in the near future. Long-term remote sensing studies have shown that up to 65% of key spoon-billed sandpiper habitat in China, South Korea and North Korea has been destroyed by reclamation.
In 2016, the global spoon-billed sandpiper population was estimated at 240–456 mature individuals or at maximum 228 pairs.
Formerly classified as an Endangered species by the IUCN, recent research shows that its numbers are decreasing more and more rapidly and that it is on the verge of extinction. It is consequently reclassified to Critically Endangered status in 2008. The population was estimated at only 120–200 pairs in 2009–2010, perhaps indicating an 88% decline since 2002 equating to an annual rate of decline of 26%. Draining of the Saemangeum estuary in South Korea removed an important migration staging point, and hunting on the important wintering grounds in South-East Asia has emerged as a serious threat. This species may become extinct in 10–20 years. But there is good news. Jonathan (yes, Tragopan's Jonathan) as he was living in China, has discovered a new wintering site for this species. On this site, about 10% of the known world population of Spoonbill sanpipers was present. Furthermore, Jonathan's concrete actions in the field have helped to reduce or even stop poaching in the area (South-West Guangdong coast). Double thumbs up Jona!
Conservation measures:
In November 2011, thirteen spoon-billed sandpipers arrived at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom to start a breeding programme. The birds hatched from eggs collected in remote northeastern Russian tundra earlier and spent 60 days in Moscow Zoo in quarantine in preparation for the 8,000 km journey. An headstarting program was also started in breending ground in Russia, and was expected to increase survival rates from less than 25% to over 75%. The removal of eggs for artificial incubation and captive rearing in Russia (see image below) lead to a second clutch reared by the parents (see image under). In 2019, almost a decade since the rescue mission, the two birds were first to be born in a UK spoon-billed sandpiper ark. Since 2013, conservationists hatched nearly twenty chicks in Chukotka every years. "

I have never heard about this captive population in Russia. Hopefully conservation measures in-situ will pay off sufficiently so that ex-situ efforts are not even needed.
 
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