Current view: Data table and detailed info
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
IUCN Red list criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Red List history
| Migratory status |
full migrant |
Forest dependency |
Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type |
Land-mass type - continent
|
Average mass |
- |
Population justification: The January 2017 census recorded a new high of 3,941 birds, thus the total number of mature individuals is estimated at c.2,250, as adults appear to account for around 57% of the total population (Yat-tung Yu in litt. 2017). The population has been inferred to have historically numbered c.10,300 individuals (Yeung et al. 2006), which fell to an estimated low of 288 individuals in 1988. Regular monitoring via the International Black-faced Spoonbill Census has indicated a recovery. 1,069 individuals were counted during the 2003 census, 2,065 individuals in 2008 and 3,272 individuals in 2015 (Yu et al. 2015) representing a steady increase on previous totals that may reflect genuine increases and result from successful conservation measures at a number of sites (Yu 2008, Chan et al. 2010). Some uncertainty remains over whether census increases represent increased survey effort, displacement of birds from unknown wintering sites or genuine population increases, thus on the basis of on-going habitat loss and degradation the overall population may decline in the near future.
Taiwan is still the largest wintering area for the species, where there were a total of 2,060 individuals (a marginal increase of 26 birds). The increase in the total global population was mainly a result of more records from mainland China, which had a 32% increase from 330 individuals in 2015 to 434 in 2016. Increases were also recorded in South Korea, Japan and Macau. Worryingly, however, the figure from Deep Bay (Hong Kong, and Shenzhen, China) decreased from 462 individuals in 2010 to 371 individuals this year, which represents a cumulative decrease of nearly 20% over the period (including 40 fewer individuals than 2015).
Trend justification: For some years annual censuses have indicated year-on-year increases in the surveyed population. It was initially unclear whether these represented genuine increases, displacement of birds from degraded and destroyed sites or simply an increase in observer effort. These annual census figures are now derived from a consistent methodology and scope, indicating that the increase in what is considered to be the vast majority of the global population is a genuine finding, and that there are not significant numbers elsewhere. Analysis of survey data from 42 sites between 1997-2014 found that the global population increased from 535 individuals in 1997 to 2,726 in 2014, an annual increase of 8.0% (Sung et al. 2017). Nevertheless, it is precautionarily suspected that very rapid population declines may take place over the next three generations, owing primarily to the predicted loss of habitat to industrial development, land reclamation, and pollution.
Country/territory distribution
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Species factsheet: Platalea minor. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 29/03/2023.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2023) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 29/03/2023.
