Identification of coastal wetlands of international importance for waterbirds:a review of China Coastal Waterbird Surveys 2005–2013

Background:China's coastal wetlands belong to some of the most threatened ecosystems worldwide.The loss and degradation of these wetlands seriously threaten waterbirds that depend on wetlands.Methods:The China Coastal Waterbird Census was organized by volunteer birdwatchers in China's coastal region.Waterbirds were surveyed synchronously once every month at 14 sites,as well as irregularly at a further 18 sites,between September 2005 and December 2013.Results:A total of 75 species of waterbirds met the 1 % population level Ramsar listing criterion at least once at one site.The number of birds of the following species accounted for over 20 % of the total flyway populations at a single site:Mute Swan(Cygnus olor),Siberia Crane(Grus leucogeranus),Far Eastern Oystercatcher(Haematopus osculans),Bar-tailed Godwit(Limosa lapponica),Spotted Greenshank(Tringa guttifer),Great Knot(Calidris tenuirostris),Spoon-billed Sandpiper(Calidris pygmeus),Saunders' s Gull(Larus saundersi),Relict Gull(Larus relictus),Great Cormorant(Phalacrocorax carbo),Eurasian Spoonbill(Platalea leucorodia),Black-faced Spoonbill(Platalea minor) and Dalmatian Pelican(Pelecanus crispus).A total of 26 sites supported at least one species of which their number met the1 % criterion.Forty-two species met the 1 % criterion in the Yellow River Delta,Shandong;29 at the Cangzhou coast,Hebei and 26 species at the Lianyungang coast,Jiangsu.Conclusions:The results highlight the international importance of China's coastal wetlands for waterbirds.This study also demonstrates that participation of local birdwatchers in waterbird surveys results in data that are invaluable not only for understanding the current status of waterbirds in China's coastal regions but also for waterbird conservation and management.

Coastal wetlands in Lianyungang,Jiangsu Province,China:probably the most important site globally for the Asian Dowitcher(Limnodromus semipalmatus)

Background: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and Central Asian Flyways,remains poorly understood,and published information about the species is largely outdated.In boreal spring 2019,over 22,432 Asian Dowitchers were recorded in a coastal wetland at Lianyungang,Jiangsu Prov-ince,China,constituting 97.5%of its estimated global population.Methods:In 2019 and 2020,we conducted field surveys at Lianyungang to determine the numbers of Asian Dow-itchers using the area during both southward and northward migrations.We also assessed the distribution and abun-dance of Asian Dowitchers elsewhere along the China coast by searching literature and consulting expert opinion.Results:The 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 north-ward 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 sug-gests that the population of the species may have declined.Conclusions:The 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.

Achievements,challenges,and recommendations for waterbird conservation in China's coastal wetlands

China’s coastal wetlands provide breeding,migration stopover,and wintering habitats for about 230 waterbird species,which is more than a quarter of all waterbirds in the world.Large-scale and high intensity human activities have resulted in serious loss and degradation of coastal wetlands over the past half century,causing population declines in many waterbirds.Through a literature review and expert surveys,this article reviews conservation measures taken in recent decades to protect waterbirds in China’s coastal wetlands and provides recommendations for future conservation action from three aspects:policy and administration,habitat conservation and management,and multiparty participation.Over the past decades,many conservation legislation,regulations and action plans at the national level and more site-specific measures and interventions have been implemented,with notable improvement in the effectiveness in policy making and multi-stakeholder participation.Accordingly,some threats to waterbirds have been mitigated and many key sites for waterbirds have been designated as strictly protected nature reserves.However,some critical issues still remain,mostly related to habitat conservation and management,such as coastal wetland restoration,control of invasive Spartina alterniflora,control of environmental pollution,and improvement of artificial habitat quality.We highlight that protecting natural tidal wetlands and improving habitat quality are critical for the conservation of coastal waterbirds,especially those highly dependent on the intertidal wetlands.China has demonstrated strong commitment to ecological conservation and restoration for the future,in terms of both funding and policies for biodiversity and wetland ecosystems.It is important that this commitment to conserve coastal waterbirds is supported continuously by science-and evidence-based decisions and actions.

Corrigendum to“Achievements,challenges,and recommendations for waterbird conservation in China's coastal wetlands”[Avian Res.14(2023)100123]

The authors regret that Fig.1 and its caption should be replaced as below.