Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Tour
Please note - To protect all birds at our site and to prevent the spread of avian influenza we have had to postpone these tours until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
For the very first time, our Conservation Breeding Unit is open to visitors.
Join a tour of the unit and meet our spoon-billed sandpipers, an opportunity to see one of the rarest birds on earth.
WWT is home to the world’s only captive breeding programme for spoon-billed sandpipers. A tour provides a once in a lifetime chance to see this critically endangered bird and understand the hopes and challenges for its survival.
Join a tour to:
· Discover why the spoon-billed sandpiper was taken into captivity and why it remains critically endangered
· Explore what is being done to change its fortunes in the wild
· Understand how international efforts to save this little bird are helping to repair and recover wetland habitats for all 600 bird species along its migration route (from northern Russia to Myanmar and Bangladesh)
· Experience WWT’s strict bio-security arrangements for this precious bird
· Step behind the scenes to see how WWT is piecing together some of the secrets of the spoon-billed sandpiper’s complex breeding habits
· Visit WWT’s spoon-billed sandpiper incubation and rearing unit
· Explore WWT’s work to save this endangered species on the ground in Russia
· Experience the utter joy of seeing this incredibly rare and charming little bird
About the tour:
Pre-booking is essential - please follow the link below to book your ticket.
Date and time: Tours will run on Sundays and Mondays at 10.30am until the end of September. Tours last approximately 1.5 hours (this includes walking time to and from Slimbridge Centre).
Meeting point: Slimbridge Centre main admissions foyer at 10.15am (15 minutes before your tour time).
Tours are delivered under strict bio-security conditions. WWT protects every spoon-billed sandpiper from disease, sickness and disturbance.
Clothing for your visit: Visitors will be required to arrive in clean clothes and closed-toe shoes. Visitors will be asked to put on overalls, hair nets and rubber shoes for the tour, these will be provided.
Managing risk of disease for the spoon-billed sandpipers: It is essential that all visitors to the facility have not been in contact with any birds in public collections or privately kept in the 24 hours prior to the tour. Please do not enter Slimbridge Wetland Centre grounds or reserves during the morning of your tour. Clothes and shoes worn to the Conservation Breeding Unit should be clean.
Capacity: Each tour will have a maximum of 6 people. Suitable for adults and children aged 12 and older only.
Cost: £80 per person, including access to Slimbridge Wetland Centre after your tour. All income from the tours will go towards our on-going conservation work.
Access information: This tour is offered in a working breeding facility. Access is via a 10 minute walk from Slimbridge Centre that includes a rough grass track and visitors will need to be comfortable standing for the majority of the tour. If you have specific access requirements please contact us to discuss these prior to booking on 01453 891900.
Ticket options
Please note - To protect all birds at our site and to prevent the spread of avian influenza we have had to postpone these tours until further notice. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
For the very first time, our Conservation Breeding Unit is open to visitors.
Join a tour of the unit and meet our spoon-billed sandpipers, an opportunity to see one of the rarest birds on earth.
WWT is home to the world’s only captive breeding programme for spoon-billed sandpipers. A tour provides a once in a lifetime chance to see this critically endangered bird and understand the hopes and challenges for its survival.
Join a tour to:
· Discover why the spoon-billed sandpiper was taken into captivity and why it remains critically endangered
· Explore what is being done to change its fortunes in the wild
· Understand how international efforts to save this little bird are helping to repair and recover wetland habitats for all 600 bird species along its migration route (from northern Russia to Myanmar and Bangladesh)
· Experience WWT’s strict bio-security arrangements for this precious bird
· Step behind the scenes to see how WWT is piecing together some of the secrets of the spoon-billed sandpiper’s complex breeding habits
· Visit WWT’s spoon-billed sandpiper incubation and rearing unit
· Explore WWT’s work to save this endangered species on the ground in Russia
· Experience the utter joy of seeing this incredibly rare and charming little bird
About the tour:
Pre-booking is essential - please follow the link below to book your ticket.
Date and time: Tours will run on Sundays and Mondays at 10.30am until the end of September. Tours last approximately 1.5 hours (this includes walking time to and from Slimbridge Centre).
Meeting point: Slimbridge Centre main admissions foyer at 10.15am (15 minutes before your tour time).
Tours are delivered under strict bio-security conditions. WWT protects every spoon-billed sandpiper from disease, sickness and disturbance.
Clothing for your visit: Visitors will be required to arrive in clean clothes and closed-toe shoes. Visitors will be asked to put on overalls, hair nets and rubber shoes for the tour, these will be provided.
Managing risk of disease for the spoon-billed sandpipers: It is essential that all visitors to the facility have not been in contact with any birds in public collections or privately kept in the 24 hours prior to the tour. Please do not enter Slimbridge Wetland Centre grounds or reserves during the morning of your tour. Clothes and shoes worn to the Conservation Breeding Unit should be clean.
Capacity: Each tour will have a maximum of 6 people. Suitable for adults and children aged 12 and older only.
Cost: £80 per person, including access to Slimbridge Wetland Centre after your tour. All income from the tours will go towards our on-going conservation work.
Access information: This tour is offered in a working breeding facility. Access is via a 10 minute walk from Slimbridge Centre that includes a rough grass track and visitors will need to be comfortable standing for the majority of the tour. If you have specific access requirements please contact us to discuss these prior to booking on 01453 891900.
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