Hen Information from Dr Nial Moores (Birds Korea) with Lee Su-Younger, Baek Seung-Kwang, and, on single dates, Lee Soojin and Jang Ryang (all Birds Korea Yeoncheon).
Underneath contract from Yeoncheon County, six days of up-at-dawn productive survey in a few of the most stunning core and buffer components of the Yeoncheon Imjin River Biosphere Reserve between June 2nd and 9th, together with some key stretches of three rivers; a couple of relict wetlands; and lots of km of path by means of bird-rich forest.
In whole we discovered a minimum of 98 hen species and noticed 5 species of mammal (spotlight being an Asian Badger).
New for our survey work within the County have been a Purple Heron on third, a displaying Von Shrenck’s Bittern on eighth, and compelling proof of native breeding by a minimum of two pairs of Yellow-bellied Tits. Numbers of some species (particularly raptors) have been quite decrease than in 2022, maybe due partly to variations in climate, whereas greater numbers of another species have been logged, together with Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (38 logged this 12 months in contrast with 21 in 2022) and globally and nationally threatened Fairy Pitta, seemingly due partly to a bigger search space of forest this 12 months.
As with different hen and biodiversity surveys funded by Yeoncheon County, a lot fuller particulars might be supplied in written stories to the County (and also will be made accessible to our members on request).
A couple of of the extra notable hen species / species of highest conservation concern are listed under:
Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis 큰부리큰기러기. A really late flock of 23-25, all presumed to be this species, have been seen flying northeast on third; and 5-10 have been seen within the Imjin River at Baekhak on eighth, along with 2-7 Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris.
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata 원앙. In whole solely 16 have been noticed – a considerably smaller quantity than in 2022.
Widespread Merganser Mergus merganser 비오리. A male was seen on the Imjin River on June 8th. Though this species breeds regionally in neighbouring Gangwon Province, that is the primary mid-summer file of this species in Yeoncheon County that we’re conscious of.
Hill Pigeon Columba rupestris 낭비둘기. Six of this nationally Critically Endangered species have been seen inside the CCZ on 8th.
Watercock Gallicrex cinerea 뜸부기. Just like final 12 months, two places have been discovered to carry “gulping” males. Like elsewhere within the ROK, agricultural industrialization continues to scale back habitat for this species even additional.
Lengthy-billed Plover Charadrius placidus 흰목물떼새. Our survey was timed too late to develop a correct inhabitants estimate for this nationally threatened species. Nevertheless, younger have been solely noticed alongside the Chatan Stream, and never at two beforehand favoured websites alongside the Hantan and at one main web site within the Imjin. This was due, largely, to ongoing “riverworks” (bulldozing areas, together with areas utilized by nesting birds every year, on the top of the breeding season), huge disturbance by “free campers” and leisure fishers, and maybe additionally due to excessive water ranges as a consequence of pre-Jangma thunderstorms.
Widespread Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 깝작도요. Though survey of rivers was restricted this 12 months, a minimum of 34 have been counted in these areas which have been visited. No apparent juveniles have been seen, nonetheless.
Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris 괭이갈매기. Though a marine-preferential species, an grownup and two Second calendar-years have been patrolling the Imjin River at Baekhak on 8th.
Little Tern Sternula albifrons 쇠제비갈매기. One hen was seen and heard in exaggerated show flight over small islands within the Imjin River at Baekhak on 8th. It’s unclear whether or not or not a second hen was additionally current on the bottom, out of view. One pair of this Nationally Weak species have been seen nesting in the identical space in 2022. Nevertheless, there was no proof that any younger have been fledged.
Von Schrenck’s Bittern Ixobrychus eurhythmus 큰덤불해오라기. A male was watched booming at shut quarters within the CCZ on 8th. The entire course of vaguely recalled somebody taking part in the bagpipes – first “pumping” to get ample air into the instrument (on this case, air sacs on the neck sides), earlier than then releasing sound…To listen to this barking increase, please play the video clip under at full quantity, ideally with head-phones.
von Shrenck’s Bittern “booming”. Photographs and Video © Nial Moores
Again within the late Nineties and early 2000s, von Schrenck’s was common, and even very regionally widespread, at a couple of websites e.g., on Ganghwa Island and in Cheorwon; and surveys within the mid-late 2010s discovered first rate numbers in DPR Korea. Nevertheless, largely as a consequence of habitat loss and large disturbance attributable to leisure fishers, this species is now proper on the sting of being misplaced to the ROK as a breeding species.
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 붉은왜가리. Typically uncommon within the ROK. An grownup was seen nicely within the CCZ on 3rd.
Chinese language Sparrowhawk Accipiter soloensis 붉은배새매. Accessible proof means that this species is rapidly-declining at each the nationwide and international stage. A complete of 9 have been seen in the course of the surveys, most inside the CCZ. This compares with 14 seen throughout our breeding hen survey in 2022.
Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis 참매. Just one was seen this 12 months: within the CCZ on 8th.
Gray-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus 왕새매. Six have been seen in whole, together with one pair in show. This compares poorly with the 13 logged in June 2022.
Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda 호반새. Eighteen have been heard and one was seen. That is remarkably much like final 12 months’s survey outcomes, regardless that there have been some variations in depend areas.
Black-capped Kingfisher Halcyon pileata 청호반새. Now assessed as globally Weak. Previously pretty widepread in Yeoncheon. Solely two have been heard, each inside the CCZ on 3rd.
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius 까막딱다구리. Beforehand unrecorded throughout our surveys in Yeoncheon. One possible was heard drumming after which calling distantly in a beforehand un-surveyed space of forest.
Fairy Pitta Pitta nympha 팔색조. Globally and nationally Weak. A complete of 31 or 32 have been heard in the course of the survey interval, with one hen heard and poorly sound-recorded in direct comparability to 3 singing Fairy Pitta sounding nearer to Blue-winged Pitta Pitta moluccensis (?), in having music phrases which have been deeper, maybe shorter, and missing upward inflection on the finish.
Our survey information present sturdy assist to our assertion first made final 12 months that Yeoncheon County / the Biosphere Reserve is internationally vital for Fairy Pitta. It appears seemingly that elevated survey effort may discover 100 or extra breeding pairs within the County. Extra analysis is required to verify this, and to know the particular ecological necessities of native breeders, as these are prone to be subtly completely different to birds breeding additional south in heat broad-leaved evergreen forest, e.g., in japanese Jeju and on Geoje – widely-recognised international breeding strongholds of the species.
Primarily based on accessible proof, it appears possible that the ROK as a complete at the moment helps ~1,000 breeding pairs of Fairy Pitta – both a really substantial a part of or maybe the vast majority of the worldwide breeding inhabitants of this species, estimated by BirdLife Worldwide (2023) to be between 1,500 and seven,000 mature people. This elevated estimate doesn’t imply that Fairy Pitta needs to be given decreased consideration in home Environmental Affect Assessments: fairly the other. The Fairy Pitta is assessed as being in speedy decline in lots of different components of its vary (BirdLife Worldwide 2023), and though the species within the ROK has seemingly benefited from reforestation efforts final century and a warming local weather, a lot of the newer “enhance” is probably going as a consequence of elevated observer effort and familiarity with the music.
There are at the moment inadequate information to establish a nationwide inhabitants development. It’s clear, nonetheless, that the ROK has an more and more vital function to fulfil within the conservation of the Fairy Pitta on the international stage. Regardless of this, approval nationwide continues to be given to a complete vary of harmful improvement tasks which undoubtedly will trigger the species to say no regionally, and maybe globally. Presence of Fairy Pitta in the course of the breeding season actually needs to be ample for the nationwide Ministry of Surroundings and native governments to rule in opposition to e.g., highway widening; golf course, waste tip and cable automobile development in forests; resort improvement and so on. – except such improvement could be confirmed to be genuinely within the curiosity of the entire nation and except correct mitigation measures are additionally put in place in adjoining areas (corresponding to decreasing present ranges of human disturbance, and elimination of alien invasive species which could predate nests).
Ashy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus 할미새사촌. Few documented breeding data within the ROK. Two, or extra, seemed to be feeding younger within the CCZ on 3rd.
Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus 칡때까치. A complete of 32 have been logged (in contrast with 38 in June 2022), together with one pair watched nest-building.
Black Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata 긴꼬리딱새. Just one was heard in the course of the current survey. An space the place the species was seen final 12 months was not visited.
Carrion Crow Corvus corone 까마귀. A complete of 9 have been seen, together with birds in precisely the identical fields within the CCZ as in June 2022 and two in Baekhak on 8th. As in 2022, all have been seen in rice-fields subsequent to the Imjin River. This whole compares to >20 Giant-billed Crow logged in the course of the present survey, with a number of Giant-billed seen in closed cover hill forest. Identification as Carrion Crow based mostly merely on forest mountain habitat – as is usually used as the primary justification by some observers on eBird – stays wholly unsupported by information from our surveys.
Yellow-bellied Tit Pardaliparus venustulus 노랑배진박새. First recorded within the ROK in 2005, the species continues to extend quickly, each nationally and all through the area. No less than 16 have been logged in the course of the surveys in three completely different areas of forest, together with two household teams (comprised of adults and begging juveniles) and a number of other singing males. This can be a substantial enhance over final 12 months when two have been logged and is simply the second or third confirmed nationwide breeding file, after the primary, apparently in Yangpyeong (Gyeonggi Province) in 2017.
Chinese language Penduline Tit Remiz consobrinus 스윈호오목눈이. A male was watched giving temporary bursts of music along with frequent contact calls in probably glorious breeding habitat within the CCZ on third. There’s solely one confirmed nationwide breeding file (on Baengnyeong Island), although it appears seemingly that the species is over-looked in summer season.
Asian Stubtail Urosphena squameiceps 숲새. A complete of 11, largely singing, birds have been logged. Of potential ornithological curiosity, one was heard and seen calling to what seemed to be a younger juvenile on 9th, in forest estimated by a wise telephone app to be solely c. 45 m asl. It has been prompt that the species solely nests above 100 m asl.
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola jundicis 개개비사촌. One was at music at Baekhak on 8th.
Warbling White-eye Zosterops japonicus 동박새. A complete of 35 have been logged in the course of the surveys, together with a number of well-seen adults and 1-2 household teams. This can be a substantial enhance over the 11 logged by our surveys in June 2022.
Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus 물레새. One was in music in probably appropriate breeding habitat within the CCZ on 8th.
Lastly, this survey interval was additionally actually useful by way of conferences, with in-office after which in-field conferences with Yeoncheon County’s Tourism division head Park Tae-Gained, and Dr Yoo Miyeon; an in-field assembly with Seoul Overseas Faculty instructor Michael Farrant in preparation for a faculty go to in September; and a small gathering of Birds Koreans on 9th, to debate progress on “The Spoonbills Mission” and the bioblitz program. The latter program will begin in mid-June, and might be comprised of ten environmental schooling classes of 3-hours every for native residents led by Birds Korea Yeoncheon and Birds Korea members: glorious!
Reference
BirdLife Worldwide (2023) Species factsheet: Pitta nympha. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/fairy-pitta-pitta-nympha on 13/06/2023
