Migratory species in Australia

Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea

Importance, threats and conservation status
Mark Barter
Wetlands International, 2002
ISBN 90 5882 009 2

4. Shorebirds occuring in internationally important numbers at Yellow Sea sites (continued)

4.4 Species accounts (continued)

4.4.27 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Subspecies Worldwide 5 (himantopus, leucocephalus, knudseni, mexicanus and melanurus); Yellow Sea (himantopus).

Distribution of H. h. himantopus in the EAAF

Breeding: Mongolia, n. central China and Yellow Sea coast.

Non-breeding: Mainly inland, but also coastal s. China, Taiwan and Indochina.

Usage and importance of Yellow Sea

Occurrence: Intertidal areas and adjacent non-tidal wetlands. B Common breeder around Chinese part of Yellow Sea (pers. obs.), but little quantitative information. More than 300 pairs at Shuangtaizihekou NNR (Y.X. Li in litt.), about 100 pairs in Yancheng NNR (H. Wang pers. comm.) and also breeds in Tianjin Municipality in unknown numbers (pers. obs.). NM and SM Widespread and common in China, with higher numbers present on SM; rare in South Korea. NB Small numbers in Yancheng NNR. Numbers are probably underestimated, as this species generally occurs on non-tidal wetlands which were generally less well surveyed than intertidal areas.

Movements: No information.

Significance of Yellow Sea: There is insufficient information to allow an estimate to be made of numbers occurring in China.

Key sites: 5 sites of international importance have been identified, all in China; 4 of the sites are important during NM and 3 during SM (see site location maps below). Breeds in internationally important numbers at Yancheng NNR and Shuangtaizihekou NNR (for site locations see map below). Dong Sha and Yancheng NNR are important during both NM and SM. Tianjin Municipality supports 10% of the estimated flyway population during NM and Shi Jiu Tuo >5% during SM.

Status of key sites: 2 of the sites are in Protected Areas.

Major gaps in knowledge: Incomplete geographical and temporal coverage in China, especially in coastal non-tidal wetlands.

EAAF POPULATION ESTIMATE: 20 000
YELLOW SEA
Status: Possibly resident, breeding visitor, passage migrant and non-breeding visitor
Estimated minimum numbers:
No estimates; rare in South Korea
INTERNATIONALLY IMPORTANT SITES (and Protected Area status)
China: 5 (2)

Site count references

  1. S.P. Zhang in litt.
  2. Barter et al. in prep.
  3. Wang & Barter 1998
  4. Brazil 1992
  5. J. Kriegs in litt.
  6. Wang 1997
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt
   China
1 Dong Sha
2 Yancheng NNR
3 Tianjin Municipality
4 Shi Jiu Tuo
5

Shuangtaizihekou NNR
   
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt during northward migration
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt during northward migration
   Site Country Count Ref
1 Tianjin Municipality China 2 000 1
2 Yancheng NNR China 482 2
3 Dong Sha China 465 3
4 Shuangtaizihekou NNR China 200 4
         
         
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt during southward migration
Sites of international importance for Black-winged Stilt during southward migration
   Site Country Count Ref
1 Shi Jiu Tuo China 1 100 5
2 Dong Sha China 562 3
3 Yancheng NNR China 327 6
         
         
         

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