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, Evgeny utilises his specialised knowledge on the Spoonbilled Sandpiper Project.
The Spoonbilled Sandpiper is a wading shorebird with as few as 100 breeding pairs in existence which only breeds in the Russian Far East. This species uses the East Asian-Australasian Flyway as a migratory route however 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 some success, but ultimately will only succeed with a co-operative approach from the multiple countries along the Flyway.
Supporting the Spoonbilled Sandpiper is an ongoing project and Heritage Expeditions has been instrumental in relocating precious cargo of Spoonbilled Sandpiper eggs, logistical support, and yearly expeditions offering expeditioners the chance to be active Project participants. Evgeny Syroechkovskiy himself is an invaluable regular guide with Heritage Expeditions and shares his passion for this species with expeditioners.
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 positively identified eight individual birds. Read more about this incredibly important find here. View the Captain's Blog Updates from this expedition which includes the first announcement of the 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.