As if that were not bad enough, this sparrow-sized wader with its peculiar spoon-shaped beak migrates from Russia through North Korea and China to Myanmar, passing through various regions that have experienced crises in recent years. The work of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Task Force has suddenly become a political challenge and a diplomatic balancing act between Russia, Germany, China and the UK.
While an ambitious breeding programme in England is on the verge of failure, the spoon-billed sandpiper is gaining unexpected popularity in China. Affectionately known as 'Spoonie' by its fans, it has become the poster boy for a growing Chinese environmental movement. Yet while its fame continues to grow, the number of actual birds continues to decline.
Bird lovers are therefore debating whether there are one, two or, as optimists claim, 300 breeding pairs left in the world.
This tragicomedy thus reflects the struggle to preserve biodiversity in an increasingly fragile world.