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)

4.4.15 Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus

Subspecies None; entire global population confined to the EAAF.

Distribution

Breeding: s. Siberia, n. Mongolia and ne. China.

Non-breeding: Coastal. se. Asia, New Guinea and n. Australia; main stronghold is probably e. and se. Sumatra.

Usage and importance of Yellow Sea

Occurrence: Intertidal areas and adjacent non-tidal wetlands. NM and SM n. from Chang Jiang Estuary to n. Liaodong Wan, with major concentrations in Bohai Wan and Yancheng NNR/Dongsha region. Absent from South Korea. Significant undercounting may have occurred because of the difficulty of separating this species from the godwits.

Movements: The e. Chinese coastline is the e. boundary of both NM and SM routes. Whilst good numbers have been reported from Chinese coastal sites, it is probable that many birds migrate along inland routes through China.

Significance of Yellow Sea: The Yellow Sea is important for this near-threatened species as it supports about 40% of the estimated flyway population during NM. Numbers may be similar on SM.

Key sites: 4 sites of international importance have been identified, all in China; all sites are important during NM and 3 during SM (see site location maps below). Dong Sha supports >5% of the estimated flyway population during SM.

Status of key sites: 1 Chinese site is in a Protected Area.

Major gaps in knowledge: Incomplete geographical and temporal information from China, particularly Bohai Wan and the Jiangsu coast and islands.

Site count references

  1. Regulus Travel in litt.
  2. Barter et al. 2001
  3. Barter et al. in prep.
  4. Wang & Barter 1998
  5. F. Heintzenberg in litt.
  6. Wang 1997

CONSERVATION STATUS: Near threatened
EAAF POPULATION ESTIMATE: 23 000
YELLOW SEA
Status: Passage migrant
Estimated minimum numbers:
NM: South Korea: Absent; China: 9 300
SM: South Korea: Absent.
INTERNATIONALLY IMPORTANT SITES (and Protected Area status)
China: 4 (1)

Sites of international importance for Asian Dowitcher (all used during northward migration)
Sites of international importance for Asian Dowitcher (all used during northward migration)
   Site Country Count Ref
1 Shi Jiu Tuo China 1 100 1
2 Tianjin Municipality China 966 2
3 Yancheng NNR China 945 3
4 Dong Sha China 664 4
         
         
Sites of international importance for Asian Dowitcher during southward migration
Sites of international importance for Asian Dowitcher during southward migration
  Site Country Count Ref
1 Dong Sha China 1 320 4
2 Shi Jiu Tuo China 495 5
3 Yancheng NNR China 285 6
         
         
         

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