International Black-faced Spoonbill Day

Introduction

The International Black-faced Spoonbill Day will be launched on 21 March 2026 and will be celebrated every third Saturday of March each year, coinciding with the northward migration of Black-faced Spoonbills from their non-breeding sites to their breeding sites. In the early 1990s, there were only around 300 individuals left, but thanks to cooperative conservation efforts, their population has now recovered to over 7,000 individuals in 2026. Ongoing efforts are still needed to ensure the sustainable conservation of Black-faced Spoonbills and their habitats.

Information of Black-faced Spoonbill:
https://eaaflyway.net/black-faced-spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill Working Group:
https://eaaflyway.net/black-faced-spoonbill-working-group

Press Release

The East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), through its Black-faced Spoonbill Working Group, invites all Partners, Flyway Network Site managers, NGOs, researchers, and local communities to participate in the first International Black-faced Spoonbill Day, to be celebrated on 21 March 2026.

The Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) is one of the most iconic migratory waterbirds of the EAAF. Once facing imminent extinction, with fewer than 300 individuals recorded globally in the late 1980s, the species has experienced a remarkable recovery. Reflecting sustained population growth, the Black-faced Spoonbill was recently downlisted on the IUCN Red List from Endangered (EN) to Vulnerable (VU). This milestone represents a significant joint conservation achievement and highlights the effectiveness of long-term, Flyway-scale cooperation.

The recovery of the Black-faced Spoonbill has been made possible through decades of coordinated international actions, including site protection, habitat management, scientific monitoring, policy support, and public engagement across breeding, migratory, and wintering ranges. It stands as a strong example of how collaboration among governments, conservation organisations, researchers, local communities, and volunteers, regardless of borders, can deliver tangible conservation outcomes.

However, despite this positive trend, the species continues to face persistent and emerging threats, such as wetland loss and degradation, disturbance, pollution, and climate change. Black-faced Spoonbill’s recovery is entirely relying on conservation interventions. Thus, sustained and coordinated conservation efforts remain essential if further recovery and potential future downlisting are to be achieved. As a flagship species of the Flyway, continued conservation of the Black-faced Spoonbill also contributes to the protection of many other migratory waterbirds that depend on the same habitats.

The idea of establishing an International Black-faced Spoonbill Day was agreed upon during the International Meeting on Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation, held at Mai Po Nature Reserve in Hong Kong SAR in February 2025 (link). Participants at the meeting recognised the importance of maintaining momentum for future action. It was agreed to designate the third Saturday of March each year as International Black-faced Spoonbill Day, providing a shared platform to celebrate recovery, raise awareness, and strengthen public and institutional support for waterbird and wetland conservation.

The first International Black-faced Spoonbill Day will be organised on 21 March 2026, convened by the EAAFP Black-faced Spoonbill Working Group. Partners and stakeholders across the Flyway are encouraged to organise activities suited to their local context. Activities may highlight both the Black-faced Spoonbill and the wider importance of conserving wetlands and migratory waterbirds.

To support consistent outreach, a universal International Black-faced Spoonbill Day poster, designed by Nakamura Sayaka of the Japan Black-faced Spoonbill Network, is available for use and adaptation.

You can now register your activities in this Online Form:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=kTTh8r9CmkOdWjXxqtpqoeAWQ_5GuL5Cp4CS5yP5xftUNTFRWjlNUVJMUFlWREU4TklEODFVS1VRWi4u&route=shorturl

Please help spread the word on your social media and networks. We warmly invite everyone to join this first global celebration and to collectively reaffirm our commitment to sustaining conservation gains for the Black-faced Spoonbill and migratory waterbirds across the Flyway.

For inquiries, please contact:

Yat-Tung Yu, Black-faced Spoonbill Working Group Coordinator, bfspoonbill@hkbws.org.hk

 

Read more:

Poster

Poster (English version)

Poster (Japanese version)

Poster (Simplified Chinese version)

Poster (Traditional Chinese version)

Activity

Event: International Black-faced Spoonbill Day Photo Contest & Book concert

Organiser: Seocheon-gun Bird Eco Exhibition Hall

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Seocheon, RO Korea

Storytelling Book (Korean version) : Black-faced Spoonbills on Noru Island_Korean

 

 

 

 

Event: International Black-faced Spoonbill Day Birdwatching Experience

Organiser: Yuttabi

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, Japan

Event: International Black-faced Spoonbill Day & Welcome Party

Organiser: Incheon Metropolitan City Black-faced Spoonbill Eco Center

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Incheon, RO Korea

Registration: here

Event: Guided Tour & Brooch DIY Workshop

Organiser: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (Hong Kong SAR)

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Hong Kong

Event Description:

-On 21/03/2026 and 22/03/2026, Hong Kong Wetland Park will organise a bird guided tour – Birds at 14:30 and BFS brooch DIY workshop at 10:30–12:00 and 14:30–16:00.

-Walk-in enrolment will start at 10 minutes before the commencement of tours. Participants shall queue at the gathering point. Quotas are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

Event: Social Media Post

Organiser: Ocean Park Hong Kong (OPC)

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Online

Event Description:

– OPC will release a social media post to highlight the encouraging news that the Black-faced Spoonbill has been downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable. The post will emphasize that conservation efforts must continue and remind the public not to become complacent. In addition, OPC is collaborating with AFCD to provide shelter for injured Black-faced Spoonbills that cannot be released back into the wild. Our renovated aviary is ready to receive these birds whenever needed, and this initiative will be featured as part of ongoing support for Black-faced Spoonbill conservation.

– Raise public awareness of Black-faced Spoonbill conservation efforts.

– Encourage continued support for conservation despite the species’ improved status.

– Highlight and honor the dedication of experts and professionals worldwide who have contributed to the conservation of the Black-faced Spoonbill.

Event: “International Black-faced Spoonbill Day” in Yatsushiro

Organiser: Yatsushiro Wild Bird Fans Society

Date: 20 March 2026, 09:00–12:00

Location: Maekawa River Estuary, Nakakita-cho, Yatsushiro City, Kyushu, Japan

Event Description:

– Black-faced Spoonbill Observation and Meeting of celebrating ” International Black-faced Spoonbill Day”

Event: Celebrate “International Black-faced Spoonbill Day” with Surveying Black-faced Spoonbill in Japan

Organiser: Japan Black-faced Spoonbill Network

Date: 21 March 2026

Location: Each habitat of Black-faced Spoonbill in Japan

Event Description:

– Count the number of Black-faced Spoonbills in the monthly survey area
– Conducted in 50 habitats to understand the environmental status of BFS habitats and deepen conservation awareness.

Event: We want to know more about Black-faced Spoonbills

Co-organiser: Wetlandforum. Japan Black-faced Spoonbill Network

Date: 20 March 2026, 11:00–16:00

Location: Wajiro tidal flats in Hakata Bay/Fukuoka City

Event Description:

– Watching the documentary film “Caring for Black-faced Spoonbill,” Learning about black-faced spoonbills, and Bird watching.
– Study about the Black-faced spoonbills. Understand the local tidal flat environment. Learn about the international connections between migratory birds.

 

 

 

 

 

Event: Black-faced Spoonbill Woolfelt Art Workshop

Organiser: The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

Date: 21 March 2026, 9:30–13:00

Location: HKBWS Office, Hong Kong

Event Description:

10-12 participants (general public, including families).
An art workshop in 2 parts:
A. Introduction to Black-faced Spoonbill background, the relevant conservation works done, tracking and leg-flag information about BFS.
B. A guided woolfelt art workshop. Participants can be able to make their take-home woolfelt Black-faced Spoonbill with the guidance of the invited artist.

 

Event: eBird Black-faced Spoonbill record + Photography challenge

Organiser: The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society

Date: 21 March 2026, 2 days (Weekend)

Location: Hong Kong

Event Description:

Encourage people to observe BFS and report on eBird.

Participants with nice BFS record photos will receive a small prize.

Event: Exploring Mai Po – Includes round-trip shuttle service

Organiser: World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong

Date: 21 March 2026, 13:30–17:30

Location: Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong

Event Description:

This programme will allow participants visiting different kinds of wetland including gei wai (traditional shrimp pond), fishpond, mangrove, reedbed and freshwater marsh etc. within the restricted area. Let participants take on the role of Black-faced Spoonbills and experience their migratory journey, helping them understand the importance of wetlands across different regions for conserving migratory birds.

Event: 2026 ‘Bird Loving Week’ and ‘International Black-faced Spoonbill Day’ Fuqing Xinghua Bay Science Festival and Public Guided Tour Activities

Organiser: 福建省观鸟协会
Fujian Birdwatching Society

Date: 15 March 2026, Whole Day

Location: Fuqing Xinghua Bay

Event Description:

Birdwatching Tour | Get up close to wetland waterbirds and learn identification skills
Science Exploration | Visit the education center and listen to waterbird conservation stories
Fun Games | Simulate waterbird migration and win exquisite waterbird refrigerator magnets
Poetic Creation | Parents and children write bird poems together; outstanding works can be included in the exhibition
DIY Crafts | Make your own waterbird night light and preserve beautiful spring memories

Open to association members, the public, community residents, etc.

Promoting Bird Loving Week and International Black-faced Spoonbill Day, a group of birdwatching enthusiasts, the public, and community residents gathered together for an immersive experience, jointly conveying the ecological concept of loving and protecting birds and protecting wetlands

Event: International Black-faced Spoonbill Day – “Enjoying Spoonbill Day” Birdwatching Activity

Organiser: 生態股長
Chief of Macau Ecology

Date: 21 March 2026, 16:00–17:30

Location: Cotai Ecological Reserve (Ecological Zone 2)

Event Description:

Participants will be led to birdwatching at the Cotai Ecological Reserve (Ecological Zone 2), the main habitat of the Black-faced Spoonbill in Macau. The aim of this activity is to raise public awareness of the Black-faced Spoonbill and other waterbirds. Participants can learn identification skills and ecological knowledge, as well as their survival threats and conservation status, and understand the importance of habitat conservation through on-site birdwatching.

Event: 3, 2, 1 — Let’s Start Drawing!

Organiser: 红树林基金会（MCF）
Mangrove Conservation Foundation

Date: 21 March–4 May 2026

Location: Online (REDnote)

Event Description:

Since 21 March 2026 coincides with the first Black-faced Spoonbill Day, the International Day of Forests, and Bird-Loving Week, an online painting challenge is planned to enhance public awareness of Black-faced Spoonbills, bird conservation, and forest protection.
· Youth Group&Adult Group
· Outstanding artworks (20–50 pieces) may be exhibited

Event: Black-faced Spoonbill and Its Home” Nature Journaling

Organiser: 红树林基金会（MCF）
Mangrove Conservation Foundation

Date: 21 March 2026, 09:00–11:30

Location: ShenZhenBay Park, Futian Mangrove Ecological Park

Event Description:

This year’s Bird Loving Week coincides with the First International Black-faced Spoonbill Day on March 21, 2026. To mark the occasion, we are launching the “Black-faced Spoonbill and Its Home” Nature Journaling Activity. What wonderful inspiration will come from combining nature journaling with the black-faced spoonbill? We are now recruiting volunteers to serve as Nature Journaling Guides, to help record the black-faced spoonbills nearby.
– Primary and Secondary School Students
– 50-100 pieces of Nature Journal works