Population of Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor)
Indicator Details
Original indicator number: IV.05
Themes
Population of selected taxa
PSBR model type
State (S)
Corresponding targets
Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Target 19: By 2020, knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity, its values, functioning, status and trends, and the consequences of its loss, are improved, widely shared and transferred, and applied.
Biodiversity Action Plan
D12030 Strengthen the research on population changes of indicator animals, plants, and micro organisms. Action plan key performance indicator:
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Research projects on the change of indicator species
Background
The black-faced spoonbill belongs to the subfamily Plataleinae, and are commonly called "Hai-Pi" (Taiwanese Mandarian pronunciation of black spoonbill) by bird watchers. It is one of the globally critically-endangered species, and the total number is fewer than three thousand. The Taijiang National Park is the winter habitat currently with the largest number of black-faced spoonbills in the world, and the maximum number is almost more than one thousand in recent years. In accordance with the Wildlife Conservation List announced by Wildlife Conservation Law, Council of Agriculture, the black-faced spoonbill is listed as critically endangered.
Definition and Calculation
The calculation method of the global census (Taiwan Wild Bird Federation): every year, from mid-January to the end of January, when the number of black-faced spoonbill populations is stable, the survey agency selects the known habitats used by black-faced spoonbills in recent years as the sample areas to count the population number. Each survey conducted by a team is regarded as an independent and effective sampling. If there are two surveys in a certain area, the larger number shall be taken as the number of that area in that year. Chiku Research Center, Endemic Research Institute has conducted daily fixed-point observations on the number of black-faced spoonbills in Taijiang wetlands since 2011 and has accumulated 6 years of observational data. The global simultaneous survey of black-faced spoonbills has been carried out since 1993. The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society of the International Bird League began to coordinate the global simultaneous survey in 2003, which is carried out jointly by volunteer senior bird watchers, researchers, and ornithologists from all over the world. The census results of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, and Japan are collected and sorted by local coordinators, and the survey results in various regions are analyzed and published by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society. Catch, band, and release research: select individuals from different regions and different populations, attach color rings on their feet to facilitate identification, and select individuals to install radio transmitters to monitor the range of activities in the winter habitats. At the same time, select suitable individuals to install satellite transmitters to record information on migration between the north and south of the island.
The data and temporal range
Global consensus of black-faced spoonbill (2007–2019)
Updates
In 2019, a total of 2,407 individuals were recorded in Taiwan, accounting for about 54% of the global population, and increased by 212 individuals compared to 2018.
Trends
The data of the trend graph is from the global simultaneous census of black-faced spoonbill. Since 2011, the number of black-faced spoonbills has increased year by year, and more than half of the population still spend their winter in Taiwan.
Data Management Authorities
Taiwan Wild Bird Federation, Chiku Research Center, Endemic Research Institute, Black-Faced Spoonbill Conservation Association, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Wild Bird Society of Tainan.