2005 International Census of Black-faced Spoonbill

21-23 January 2005

The January of 2005 is a remarkable moment for the globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. Its known world population was recorded over 1000 individuals for which a total of 1206 individuals were counted in January 2004. This number represents the recovery of the population from the brink of extinction in early 1990s. However, the Black-faced Spoonbill is still facing various threats in its breeding, staging and wintering grounds. The annual census on the wintering population of the spoonbill can provide a comparable and useful figures which is the one of the key components for conservation of this endangered species.

The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS) continues to coordinate the International Black-faced Spoonbill census this winter. The dates of the census will be on 21-23 January 2005. You are cordially invited to mark these dates in your calendar and start preparing for the census.

To help our preparations, please kindly advise us whether you will be participating in the coming census and the site you are responsible to. Please reply to hkbws@hkbws.org.hk and bfspoonbill@hkbws.org.hk.

Guidelines and suggestions can be downloaded by clicking this LINK in PDF format. It helps to ensure that the census would produce results as accurate as possible. For the last report of the census and updated information are available at the Black-faced Spoonbill homepage at http://www.hkbws.org.hk/bfs/ , you are also welcome to post your finding of the species at the Black-faced Spoonbill Newsgroup at http://www.hkbws.org.hk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Spoonbill

We thank LEICA (Schimidt Marketing (H.K.) Ltd)) for supporting us necessary cost including production, printing and mailing of report for the 2005 Black-faced Spoonbill Census.

Yat-tung YU
Coordinator
International Census of Black-faced Spoonbill
bfspoonbill@hkbws.org.hk