Dozens of black-faced spoonbills have already been spied at Shenzhen’s Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve, heralding peak bird-watching season in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), regional media reports.
Footage from the reserve’s panoramic cameras captured the elegant birds standing by a fishpond at dusk, their white feathers glowing softly against the fading light.
The endangered black-faced spoonbill – inspiration for Macao’s tourism mascot, Mak Mak – is seen as an indicator of wetland health, as its presence depends on clean water and plentiful food. Each winter, its migratory patterns bring it to parts of the GBA, including the SAR.
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According to the Shenzhen Bird Watching Society, the best months for observing birds are November to February, when nearly 100,000 migratory avians representing more than 200 species pass through.
Popular sites include Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen Bay and OCT Wetland, where visitors may spot Eurasian curlews, pied avocets, terek sandpipers and grey herons alongside the spoonbills.
Early mornings are ideal for sightings, experts say – just remember to stay quiet, keep your distance, and avoid feeding or startling the birds. Tide levels between 0.5 and 1.2 meters offer the best viewing, especially at Shenzhen Bay when the mudflats are exposed.
