The small and unique bird in the photo is the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (scientific name: Calidris pygmaea).

This is one of the most critically endangered shorebirds in the world, instantly recognizable by its distinctive, flattened, and widened spatula-shaped bill.

Here is some detailed information about this species:

• Identification: It’s a small bird (only about 14–16 cm in size), featuring plumage that is brown, black, white, and rufous-red speckled (during breeding season), along with its unmistakable black, spoon-shaped bill. The chick in the photo has particularly adorable brown and yellow-gold mottled down.
• Habitat and Migration: They breed in the remote Arctic tundra of Northeast Russia (Chukotka and Kamchatka peninsulas). Annually, they undertake an epic migration, flying thousands of kilometers along the East Asian coast to warmer regions in Southeast Asia (including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, and Southern China) to overwinter.

• Conservation Status: The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

  • The remaining population in the wild is extremely small, estimated at only a few hundred breeding pairs.

  • The primary reasons for its decline are habitat loss (coastal tidal flats being reclaimed for development) along its migratory route, especially in the Yellow Sea, and hunting pressure in some wintering areas.