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| Spoon-billed Sandpiper on verge of extinction | |||||
Speakers at a press conference said
only 300 breeding pairs of Spoon-billed Sandpiper, existed all over the
world and immediate conservation measures were needed to save the
endangered species of bird from extinction.
The press conference on ‘The Survey of an Endangered Bird, Spoon-billed Sandpiper on the Coast of Bangladesh’ was held at National Press Club in the city yesterday. The Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) and Bangladesh Bird Club organised the press conference to clarify the purpose and scope of a survey by an international team of experts on the coast of Bangladesh on a globally endangered bird, Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The migratory birds, most significant resources of the nature, are unsafe in their wintering grounds including Bangladesh, Enayetullah Khan, Chairman of the WTB said while presided over the session. UNB Chairman Amanullah Khan, leader of the survey team Dr Christoph Zockler, Tim Inskipp, an author of books on the birds and Enam Ul Haque, National Coordinator of Asian Waterfowl Census in Bangladesh, among others, addressed the conference. Enayetullah said Bangladesh is the abode of some 700 species of birds, among which around 300 species are migrants. These migratory birds, most of which dwell around water bodies, are the major components of the ecosystem. Visits of these birds indicate that the health of the country’s ecosystems is still livable. If we fail to conserve these waterfowls we would face tremendous crisis of usable water, which is the lifeline of Bangladesh, he added. He mentioned that a remarkable number of different species of birds in the country are now on the verge of extinction, facing a multitude of threats including being the victim of human greed. Dr Zockler said Russia is the habitation of this rare species of migratory bird. The number of this bird is declining awfully due to some mysterious reasons. He mentioned that the main purpose of the survey is to study the important wintering area of Spoon-billed Sandpipers in Bangladesh as well as to promote conservation of a few habitats critical for its survival. Amanullah Khan emphasised on a complete overhaul of Bangladesh Wildlife Protection Act 1974 and said its effective implementation is ‘Indispensable to safeguard our land and coasts from environmental degradation.’ Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a small, 17cm, and shorebird with a spoon-shaped bill. It inhabits the coastal areas of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and a few neighbouring countries in winter and breeds in summer at Russian tundra. It feeds on very small invertebrates living in the inter-tidal mudflat. |
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