31 Mar 2014

Spoonbilled Sandpipers move to open air avaries

In a mere 30 centimetres captive Spoonbilled-Sandpipers have moved thousands of kilometres.. and are one step closer to breeding! 

The captive Spoonbilled Sandpiper breeding programme at Slimbridge in the UK took a significant step forward last week, as the birds are getting closer to the end goal of breeding successfully. Open air avaries recreating their summer breeding habitat in the Far East of Russia have been created at the centre with the aim of putting the birds in the mood for love! The first step in this process is moving them to an outdoor interim area that mimics the estuarine environment of Asian mudflats. Read more about the interesting process, including an interview with head of Conservation Breeding Nigel Jarrett here.