The globally threatened sandpiper has been the focus of ArcCona research in the last 5 years. Expeditions have been carried out to the breeding grounds in Chukotka, North Eastern Russia in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005 to explore the reasons of its sharp decline. Research focused on the breeding biology and stable isotopes. The major wintering grounds are unknown, colour rings have been observed in Japan and Korea. In early 2005 an expedition into the wintering grounds did not find any birds at all. In early 2006 a follow-up expedition found 11 individuals at three sites along the coast of Bangladesh. In January 2008 highly important wintering sites were found along the Rakhine (Arakan) coast and in the gulf of Mottama (Martaban) in Myanmar. Expeditions to Chukotka and into South and South East Asia followed in 2009,2010 and 2011.

In 2004 several partners active in the conservation of the globally threatened Spoon-billed Sandpiper joined the Recovery Team chaired by Evgeny Syroechkovskiy and later by Christoph Zöckler. With the growing demand of work, the finalization of the action plan in 2008 and the continuing support from BirdLife International and many other organizations, it became necessary to formalize the active team to better coordinate the conservation activities along the entire flyway. In February 2010 the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery Team (SBS RT) joined with the EAAFP and in December 2010 was officially endorsed by the partnership as a species Task Force (SBS TF) under the Shorebird working group. The Lead Organization for the EAAFP Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task will be BirdLife International through its partner Birds Russia. It is chaired by the Governmental Partner from Russia and coordinated by Christoph Zöckler from ArcCona Consulting on behalf of Birds Russia, assisted by Sayam Chowdhury from the Bangladesh Spoon-billed Sandpiper Conservation Project (BSCP) and supported by the RSPB and the Manfred-Hermsen Foundation. Task Force members will consist of EAAFP Governmental Partners of key range states (Russian Federation, Japan, People’s Republic of China, People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Union of Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India), the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT), Wetlands International, a representative of the EAAFP Shorebird Working Group, Fauna Flora International (FFI) and experts and conservation organisations from principal range states and other partners. The main aim is to coordinate the conservation activities that have been identified in the CMS Single Species Action Plan for the species commissioned by BirdLife International and regularly updated.

Latest news: spoonbilled sandpiper at BBC radio!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0174gkb/Saving_Species_Series_2_Episode_26/

Latest news: sps task force bulletin no. 7 Feb. 2012
Report of the Sbs task force February 2012 (pdf-file)

Latest news: One quarter of the world population of the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpipers on Rudong mudflats, Jiangsu, China (30 Oct 2012)
http://www.eaaflyway.net/news-events.php

Final Draft of SBS Action Plan
Expeditions

Spoonbilled Sandpiper Action Plan

In 2004 several partners active in the conservation of the globally threatened Spoon-billed sandpiper joined the Recovery Team chaired by Evgeny Syroechkovskiy and later by Christoph Zöckler. With the growing demand of work, the finalization of the action plan in 2008 and the continuing support from BirdLife and many other organizations, it became necessary to formalize the active team to better coordinate the conservation activities along the entire flyway. In February 2010 the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Recovery Team (SBS RT) joined with the EAAFP and in December 2010 was officially endorsed by the partnership as a species Task Force (SBS TF) under the Shorebird working group. The Lead Organisation for the EAAFP Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task will be BirdLife International through its partner Birds Russia. It is chaired by the Governmental Partner from Russia and coordinated by Christoph Zöckler from ArcCona Consulting on behalf of Birds Russia, supported by BirdLife International. Task Force members will consist of EAAFP Governmental Partners of key range states (Russian Federation, Japan, People’s Republic of China, People’s Democratic Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Union of Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India), the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT), Wetlands International, a representative of the EAAFP Shorebird Working Group and experts and conservation organisations from principal range states and other partners. The main aim is to coordinate the conservation activities that have been identified in the CMS Single Species Action Plan for the species commissioned by BirdLife International and regularly updated.