Aerial view of the coastal wetland in Tiaozini, Dongtai, Jiangsu Province, China, threatened by a major land reclamation project.
This vast wetland was recognised by UNESCO as the only unpolluted inshore tidal wetland on the Pacific West bank. Every year, rare birds including Spoon-billed sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus), Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minors) spend the winter here. The Spoon-billed sandpiper, with only 600-700 exemplars left in the world, is regarded as a critically endangered species by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The wetland of the Yellow Sea is the most important transfer station for this migratory bird.