Rare Black-faced Spoonbill Species Seen in Central Vietnam for the First Time
14 Black-faced Spoonbills first discovered in Central Vietnam. (Photo: Lê Mạnh Hùng).
On May 16, according to news from the Department of Science and Technology of Thừa Thiên Huế Province, during a field survey at the Ô Lâu River estuary and Tam Giang – Cầu Hai Lagoon, a research team recorded the presence of 14 Black-faced Spoonbills.
This is also the first time this species has been recorded in Central Vietnam. Previously, Black-faced Spoonbills were only recorded as a rare resident species in the Southern region and sporadically in the Northeastern region.
Black-faced Spoonbills hunting for fish in the paddy fields of Phong Điền District, Thừa Thiên Huế Province.
The Black-faced Spoonbill belongs to the Spoonbill family (Threskiornithidae), order Pelecaniformes. This family is known to include many rare bird species listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as the Vietnam Red Data Book, such as the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea), and the Blue-winged Pitta (Pseudibis davisoni).
It is known that the Black-faced Spoonbill population is declining, with sightings in Vietnam primarily limited to certain areas in the Mekong Delta, such as Tràm Chim National Park (Đồng Tháp), Đất Mũi (Cà Mau), bird fields in Bạc Liêu, and the Láng Sen Nature Reserve (Long An).
The first appearance of the Black-faced Spoonbill in Central Vietnam is significant for the conservation of wild birds, especially migratory species. (Photo: Lê Mạnh Hùng).
According to the research team, the first recorded sighting of the Black-faced Spoonbill indicates that the Ô Lâu River estuary and Tam Giang – Cầu Hai Lagoon in Thừa Thiên Huế Province are crucial for the conservation of wild birds, particularly migratory species.
