Over the past two years, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society's ringing team has been contributing to an incredible mission, tracking Greater Painted-snipes at the Long Valley Nature Park (LVNP).
Greater Painted-snipe prefers freshwater wetlands, but this type of habitat is declining in Hong Kong, raising concerns about their conservation status. A recent study reveals that this species is at moderate risk of local extinction. Therefore, the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society hope their research can gain a better understanding of the behaviours and habitat requirements, so as to facilitate future habitat conservation works.
The results revealed the Greater Painted-snipes prefer vegetated areas and dense crops in the morning as shelter, but wet field with sparser vegetation and more open views at night for foraging. These findings highlight the protection and management of a diverse range of crops within the LVNP are important to the Greater Painted-snipes, and may also serve as an important reference for establishing other conservation sites in the future.
In the upcoming ringing season, the team will focus on tagging Gallinago snipes that may use similar habitats, particularly migratory individuals, to gain a better understanding of their use of various local habitats. On the other hand, they will also tag rescued large waterbirds and raptors to better understand and fill the knowledge gap of their local and regional movements in East Asia.
 
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