First records of Little Stint Calidris minuta in Indonesia

Details are presented of the first two Indonesian records of the Little Stint Calidris minuta, discovered during shorebird surveys on the north coast of Aceh Province, Sumatra, between 18 October 2019 and 30 January 2020. As the species has already been recorded multiple times in most of the surrounding countries it is assumed that it had hitherto been overlooked in Indonesia. As further records from other parts of Indonesia can be expected, we summarise key features for distinguishing the species from the very similar Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, with which it often associates

The State of Migratory Landbirds in the East Asian Flyway: Distributions, Threats, and Conservation Needs

With nearly 400 migratory landbird species, the East Asian Flyway is the most diverse of the world’s flyways. This diversity is a consequence of the varied ecological niches provided by biomes ranging from broadleaf forests to arctic tundra and accentuated by complex biogeographic processes. The distribution and migration ecology of East Asian landbirds is still inadequately known, but a recent explosion in the number of studies tracking the migration of raptors, cuckoos, kingfishers and passerines has greatly increased our knowledge about the stopover and wintering ecology of many species, and the migratory routes that link northeast Eurasia and the Asian tropics. Yet the East Asian Flyway also supports the highest number of threatened species among flyways. Strong declines have been detected in buntings (Emberizidae) and other long-distance migrants. While the conservation of migratory landbirds in this region has largely focused on unsustainable hunting, there are other threats, such as habitat loss and increased agro-chemical use driven directly by land cover change and climate-related processes. Important knowledge gaps to be addressed include (1) threats affecting species in different parts of their annual cycle, (2) range-wide population trends, (3) ecological requirements and habitat use during the non-breeding season, and (4) the conservation status of critical wintering sites (including understudied farming landscapes, such as rice fields) and migration bottlenecks along the flyway

Modelling the potential non-breeding distribution of Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea is a ‘Critically Endangered’ migratory shorebird. The species faces an array of threats in its non-breeding range, making conservation intervention essential. However, conservation efforts are reliant on identifying the species’ key stopover and wintering sites. Using Maximum Entropy models, we predicted Spoon-billed Sandpiper distribution across the non-breeding range, using data from recent field surveys and satellite tracking. Model outputs suggest only a limited number of stopover sites are suitable for migrating birds, with sites in the Yellow Sea and on the Jiangsu coast in China highlighted as particularly important. All the previously known core wintering sites were identified by the model including the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, Nan Thar Island and the Gulf of Mottama. In addition, the model highlighted sites subsequently found to be occupied, and pinpointed potential new sites meriting investigation, notably on Borneo and Sulawesi, and in parts of India and the Philippines. A comparison between the areas identified as most likely to be occupied and protected areas showed that very few locations are covered by conservation designations. Known sites must be managed for conservation as a priority, and potential new sites should be surveyed as soon as is feasible to assess occupancy status. Site protection should take place in concert with conservation interventions including habitat management, discouraging hunting, and fostering alternative livelihoods.Additional co-authors: Christoph Zockler, Graeme M Buchana

Some significant avifaunal records from Bangladesh, including first record of Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala

Volume: 27Start Page: 85End Page: 8

A survey for Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda and other riverine birds on the Jamuna and Padma rivers in Bangladesh

Volume: 30Start Page: 84End Page: 8

Status and distribution of the endangered Baer\u27s Pochard Aythya baeri in Bangladesh

Volume: 28Start Page: 57End Page: 6

Status of Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus in Bangladesh

Volume: 27Start Page: 104End Page: 10

A survey of the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus in Bangladesh and key future research and conservation recommendations

Volume: 26Start Page: 1End Page:

Notable bird records from Bangladesh from July 2002 to July 2013

Volume: 30Start Page: 50End Page: 6