Platalea minor

National bird of Hong Kong.

The Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a species of wading bird in the ibis and Spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, found in Eastern Asia. Confined to the coastal areas of eastern Asia, it seems that it was once common throughout its area of distribution. It currently breeds only on a few small rocky islands off the west coast of North Korea, with four wintering sites at Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam. The bird is a protected species in China as part of the China Red Data Book; its stopover site at Jiuduansha off Shanghai is a national nature preserve. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 200. In Mai Po Marshes, a quarter of the world's population of black-faced spoonbill can be found during migration. In Hong Kong, disturbances by fishermen and shell gatherers often prevent the birds from feeding at low tide. In addition, with the continued expansion of human populations in the Far East, pollution will probably become an important problem. Disease has the ability to devastate the black-face spoonbills as well. In the winter of 2002/2003, 73 of the population died due to avian botulism. It may be necessary to establish additional protective areas or reserves in order to not let the population of birds to succumb to disease.