Abstract
BackgroundDespite an increasing number of surveys and a growing interest in birdwatching, the population and distribution of Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), a species endemic to the East Asian–Australasian and Central Asian Flyways, remains poorly understood, and published information about the species is largely outdated. In boreal spring 2019, over 22,432 Asian Dowitchers were recorded in a coastal wetland at Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, constituting 97.5% of its estimated global population.MethodsIn 2019 and 2020, we conducted field surveys at Lianyungang to determine the numbers of Asian Dowitchers using the area during both southward and northward migrations. We also assessed the distribution and abundance of Asian Dowitchers elsewhere along the China coast by searching literature and consulting expert opinion.ResultsThe coastal wetlands of Lianyungang are the most important stopover site for Asian Dowitchers during both northward and southward migrations; they supported over 90% of the estimated global population during northward migration in two consecutive years (May 2019 and 2020). This area also supported at least 15.83% and 28.42% (or 30.74% and 53.51% using modelled estimates) of the global population during southward migration in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Coastal wetlands in the west and north of Bohai Bay also have been important stopover sites for the species since the 1990s. Although comprehensive, long-term monitoring data are lacking, available evidence suggests that the population of the species may have declined.ConclusionsThe high concentration of Asian Dowitchers at Lianyungang during migration means the species is highly susceptible to human disturbances and natural stochastic events. The coastal wetlands of Lianyungang should be protected and potentially qualify for inclusion in China’s forthcoming nomination for World Heritage listing of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) in 2023. Additional research is needed to understand Asian Dowitchers’ distribution and ecology, as well as why such a high proportion of their population rely on the Lianyungang coast.
Highlights
Despite an increasing number of surveys and a growing interest in birdwatching, the population and distribution of Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), a species endemic to the East Asian–Australasian and Central Asian Flyways, remains poorly understood, and published information about the species is largely outdated
The Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), known as the Asiatic Dowitcher, is a medium-large shorebird that migrates along the East Asian–Australasian
Yang et al Avian Res (2021) 12:38 and Central Asian Flyways. It breeds during the boreal summer in freshwater wetlands in steppe regions in disjunct areas extending from Russia, through Mongolia to north-east China, and spends the non-breeding season in coastal areas in Southeast Asia and Northwest Australia; small numbers occur in the Indian subcontinent (Birdlife International 2016; Mundkur et al 2017)
Summary
Despite an increasing number of surveys and a growing interest in birdwatching, the population and distribution of Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), a species endemic to the East Asian–Australasian and Central Asian Flyways, remains poorly understood, and published information about the species is largely outdated. Yang et al Avian Res (2021) 12:38 and Central Asian Flyways It breeds during the boreal summer in freshwater wetlands in steppe regions in disjunct areas extending from Russia, through Mongolia to north-east China, and spends the non-breeding season in coastal areas in Southeast Asia and Northwest Australia; small numbers occur in the Indian subcontinent (Birdlife International 2016; Mundkur et al 2017). The Asian Dowitcher was first listed in IUCN’s Red Data Book in 1977 as “rare” (King 1981); currently it is listed as “Near Threatened”, based on a 2008 global population estimate of 23,000 birds (BirdLife International 2016). Wetlands International (2020) notes that the population is declining. Conklin et al (2014) noted that “insufficient data exist to evaluate suspected population declines due to habitat degradation on the flyway”, while Hansen et al (2016) estimated the population as 14,000
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