Spoon-billed sandpiper to face extinction

FE Team | Published: May 10, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

The spoon-billed sandpiper, a critically endangered species of migratory birds, will face extinction losing their habitats if the government will establish a deep seaport in the Sonadia Island, as planned, reports UNB.
"There are only about 200 pairs of the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpipers around the world right now while about 50 pairs of spoon-billed sandpipers were seen in Sonadia Island last winter," birds expert of IUCN Bangladesh ABM Sarowar Alam Dipu told the news agency.
He said this particular bird species breed in Russia and they travel to Sonadia Island in Cox's Bazar during winter every year to avoid heavy cold and get a suitable habitat with plenty of food.
Sarowar Alam said if the spoon-billed sandpipers see their habitat is lost due to construction of a deep seaport and other development activities they will not be able to return home in Russia safely as the birds will not, find sufficient food to store energy for flying a long distance.
"The malnourished birds will die during their return. If the habitats of the birds are destroyed, they will face extinction globally," he said.
Sonadia is a small island of about 9 square kms off the Cox's Bazar coast in Chittagong Division and a unique habitat of migratory shorebirds, including spoon-billed sandpiper.
Dr Tapan Kumar Dey, conservator of forest (Wildlife Circle), said the Sonadia Island is a habitat of the spoon-billed sandpiper and the forest department is always against the move of setting up a deep seaport in the island. "As a member of wildlife circle, I feel it."
He said the Forest Department has a plan to bring the Sonadia Island under the marine protection. "I hope, the Sonadia will be announced as a marine protected area soon."
A survey, titled 'the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus in Bangladesh and key future research and conservation recommendations' in 2010 recorded a minimum of 49 spoon-billed sandpipers in the country -- 25 at Sonadia, 23 at Damar Char and 1 at Teknaf.