Vivian Fu, from the BirdLife International China Programme, kindly gave us a presentation about efforts to save the critically endangered Chinese Crested Tern. Date: 13 Sep 2012 Venue: Cloud Cafe (WanTang Road at the TianMuShan Road intersection - Hangzhou City, China) Hangzhou Green Drinks

1. Wing Kan Fu , Vivian
China Programme Officer
BirdLife International / HKBWS
China Programme

2. The importance of mainland China to birds:
 ~ 1,300 bird species (13% global spp.)
 >80 globally threatened spp.
 China is the key site of 50% of these spp.
 445 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified

3. Chinese Crested Tern中华凤头燕鸥
 Species name: Thalasseus bernsteini
 A kind of seabird
 ~43cm long
Photo credit: Chen Shui Hua

4. Chinese Crested Tern中华凤头燕鸥
 Species name: Thalasseus bernsteini
Chinese Crested Tern Great Crested Tern
Photo credit: Chen Shui Hua

5. History
First specimen
collected at the
Island of Kao,
Halmahera, eastern
Indonesia on 22
November 1861.
Photo credit: Chen Shui Hua

6. ‐ China: records in Shangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian
Provinces.
‐ No records since the last 21 specimens collected in
1937 near Qingdao, Shandong.
Last
Records!!!
Photo credit: Simba Chan

7. Rediscovery
 Summer 2000
 4 pairs found in Mazu
After 63
years!!!
Photo credit: Simba Chan

8. Discovery in Zhejiang Province
 Another breeding
colony was found on
Jiushan Islands,
Zhejiang in August
2004.
 In 2007, the
population seemed
to move to another
island Wuzishan
Islands, Zhejiang.
Photo credit: Chen Shuihua

9. Status
 < 50 individuals at present (Critically Endangered);
 Only two breeding colonies are discovered, on
islets off the east coast of mainland China;
 Wintering ground has never been reported;
 Migration route is still unknown
Zhejiang
Fujian
Taiwan

10. Threats
 Biggest Enemy‐‐‐Human!!
Photo credit: Chen Shuihua

11. Threats
 Predators and introduced species

12. Threats
 Indirect disturbance:
 Typhoon
 Pollution and rubbish
 Over‐fishing
Photo credit: Chen Shuihua Photo credit: Fujian Bird Watching Society

13. Conservation
 An International Action plan
produced by BirdLife International
with Convention of Migratory
Species (CMS) in 2010

14. Conservation
 Little ecological
information on Chinese
Crested Tern
 Needs for survey:
 Survey for unknown
breeding sites.
 New sites in Zhejiang
Provinces found in 2004
and 2008.

15. Conservation
 Main threats: egg
collection
Raise awareness
 To public: schools and
local communities
 To government

16. Education and promotion at schools
(Photo credit: Fujian Bird Watching Society)

17. Public awareness campaign
(Photo credit: Zhejiang Wild Bird Society)

18. Promotional materials

19. Conservation
 Better management and
protection at breeding
sites
Raise awareness
 Advocacy with
government

20. Promote and strengthen protection in
Nature Reserves
Establish
nature reserve
in Zhejiang
National
Nature
Reserve in
Fujian

21. Raising awareness outside China
Where is the
wintering
ground of
Chinese Crested ?

22. Producing promotional materials
(Photo credit: Simba Chan)

23. December, 2010
One wintering Chinese Crested Tern
sighted in Seram, eastern Indonesia!!
（photo credit：
Craig Robson）

24. You can help!!
 Do not eat seabirds’ eggs
 Do not land on islands which have breeding seabirds
 Spread the message of protection to Chinese Crested
Tern and its home to family and friends
With your support, we can save
another species from extinction!

25. Acknowledgement
Zhejiang WildBird Society Fujian Bird Watching Society

26. Thank you!

27. Useful links
 BirdLife International factsheet:
http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.ph
p?id=3264
 Oriental Bird Club Bulletin 32:
http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/bullfeat
s/chincres.html
 Zhejiang Wild Bird Society:
http://www.zjbird.cn/
 Fujian Bird Watching Society:
http://www.fjbirds.org/html/bbs.html