SSPAI and Mangrove Foundation to Host Shenzhen Bay Migratory Bird Season Livestream

The livestream is timed to the autumn and winter bird season, when Shenzhen Bay receives migratory birds traveling along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The bay serves as a key stopover and wintering site, and its intertidal mudflats and surrounding wetlands provide feeding and resting space for different species. At low tide, the mudflats are exposed and waterbirds search for food in shallow water or probe mud with their bills.

SSPAI and MCF also plan in-person activities. The Black-faced Spoonbill Nature Market will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 at Shenzhen Bay, with science-interaction booths, nature brands and original designer stalls presenting bird-protection stories, birdwatching equipment and bird-themed cultural products. During the event, visitors can attend an ecological sharing salon, view drawings and nature notes about the black-faced spoonbill and its habitat at a gallery, take part in market stamp collection and guess the number of black-faced spoonbills to be recorded in the 2027 global survey.

A Shenzhen Bay migratory bird science corridor will also open during the event, running more than 2 kilometers from the Seaside Ecological Park to Haiyun Bridge. More than 20 interpretive signs will use the story of Happy, a black-faced spoonbill, to explain migratory bird migration, mangrove ecology and efforts to protect the wetland.

MCF, founded in 2012, has worked through public outreach, public participation, scientific research and conservation actions to promote protection and restoration of mangrove ecosystems, according to SSPAI.

The charity products featured in the livestream include a black-faced spoonbill plush made from recycled fabric and filled with recycled cotton, and a spoon-billed sandpiper eye mask that incorporates the critically endangered bird's spoon-shaped bill. There are also BAMBOOMATES and MCF co-branded plush toys modeled on the black-faced spoonbill and white-throated kingfisher, with the spoonbill version including a detail simulating a bird band. Other items include a Shenzhen Bay mangrove wreath charm, plush bags and keychains based on the Eurasian otter and mudskipper, fridge magnets, mini storage bags, species crossbody bags and a fisherman hat made from discarded fishing nets and recycled plastic bottles with spoon-billed sandpiper embroidery.

SSPAI said it had previously worked with MCF on a 2026 anti-bird-strike New Year window sticker design charity call, inviting designs to help birds recognize glass and reduce collision risks. The livestream will also introduce the stories behind the MCF products, it said.

Editor's Summary

SSPAI and MCF will hold a Shenzhen Bay migratory bird season livestream on Oct. 30, alongside a nature market and science corridor. Part of sales from charity products will go to wetland and wildlife conservation. The events link public birdwatching and product sales to MCF's work on mangroves and migratory bird habitats.