Fewer than 100 pairs of Spoon-billed Sandpipers are thought to remain in the wild, but the critically endangered species got a major boost last week when a flock of 14 hatched in captivity in the U.K.
Just several days old, the chicks are all legs and awkwardness. But RSPB wildlife charity director Dr. Tim Stowe is confident the flock will help the species make a comeback:
A bird like the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, with its bizarre little beak, has survived through time and it doesn't deserve to be wiped out now.
[zooborns]