06 Jul 2016

From the Brink of Extinction - The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Project

Far away from the rest of the world, Heritage Expeditions guide Evgeny Syroechkovskiy is working tirelessly to save a species from extinction.  As the head of the conservation project for Birds Russia he utilises his specialised knowledge and skill for the Spoonbilled Sandpiper Project in the Russian Far East. 

Supporting the Spoonbilled Sandpiper is an ongoing project. In fact, for many years Heritage Expeditions has been partnered with BirdLife International and the Russian-based research teams with the aim of bringing this species back from the verge of extinction.  The Spoonbilled Sandpiper is a wading shorebird that breeds in the Chukotka region of the Russian Far East and uses the East Asian Australasian Flyway as a migratory route.  This ‘bird highway’ is potholed with dangers of habitat loss, hunting and human interference which has led to the severe reduction in numbers of birds.  The project is showing success with breeding, but ultimately will only succeed with a cooperative approach from the multiple countries along the bird’s Flyway.

Heritage Expeditions has been instrumental in moving the precious cargo of Spoonbilled Sandpiper eggs onboard our ship the Spirit of Enderby / Professor Khromov.  As well as logistical support for the project, a yearly expedition is regularly offered that gives passengers the chance to be an active participant in searching for the species.  Evgeny himself has been an invaluable guide on over ten expeditions in the Chukotka region with Heritage Expeditions and shares his passion for this species with passengers aboard the Spirit of Enderby/Professor Khromov.

On a Heritage Expeditions voyage in July 2016, a previously unknown breeding area was located by expeditioners in conjunction with the Spoonbilled Sandpiper Recovery Team and they were able to positively identify a total of eight individual birds.  Read more about this incredibly important find here.

Join the Heritage Expeditions team in the field with Evgeny Syroechkovskiy and help support his research and conservation efforts on our Siberia's Forgotten Coast: In the Wake of Spoonbilled Sandpiper voyage, departing on 27 June 2017.

The specialised work of the Spoonbilled Sandpiper Team has recently been featured in an online article by the BBC.  

To read the full BBC article, click here.

Photo credit: C.Collins