Endangered Kentish plover flock flies over “valuable environment” planned for land reclamation

Endangered Kentish plover flock flies over “valuable environment” planned for land reclamation

A flock of Kentish plovers fly over the ocean on January 31 at Irijima, Urasoe City (photographed by Chobin Yara)


February 10, 2021 Ryuyu Shimpo

 

A flock of migratory birds was seen on January 31 over the ocean in front of San-A Urasoe Nishikaigan Parco City. According to Chairman Masakuni Yamashiro of the Wild Bird Society of Okinawa, these migratory birds appear to be Kentish plovers. Chobin Yara, 71, from Ginowan City, who photographed the birds, said that this “shows that the natural environment is abundant.”
The Kentish plover is a rare species, and is designated as an endangered species by the Ministry of the Environment, among other agencies. Around 8:30 a.m., Yara saw approximately 150 of the Kentish plovers flying over the ocean at high tide.
Yara said, about the Kentish plovers, “Although normally observed at the Awase tidal flats, a flock flying together is rarely seen. They flew over the ocean for just a moment, but if it were low tide we likely would have seen them catching food in the shallows.”
Chairman Yamashiro said, “This has been a difficult area of the ocean to access so it has not been known, but there is a coral reef peculiar to Okinawa here. It is a valuable environment where waterfowl gather.”
The whole area is planned for land reclamation as part of the relocation of the Naha Port Facility (Naha Military Port).

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

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