Avian Surveys in the Korean Inner Border Area, Gimpo, Republic of Korea

• Published in: Biodiversity Data Journal
• Main Authors: Choi, Hyun-Ah, Seliger, Bernhard, Moores, Nial, Borzée, Amaël, Yoon, Chong Hwi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2020
• Subjects: border area; waterbirds; bird conservation; Neutral Zone; wetlands; conservation; Korean peninsula; Anser fabalis; taiga; Tundra
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e56219

Birds are useful environmental indicators and their presence as their presence reflects the health of the food web. Bird occurrence, rarity and abundance are reliable indicators of the presence of ecosystem health. Monitoring of avian populations in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is a primary requirement due to plummeting populations and the risks to threatened species. Ministry of Environment, ROK started winter bird census from 1999 including inland areas and coast areas such as Cheorwon, Yeoncheon, Junam Reservoir and Han River. Cheolwon, Yeoncheon and some extent islands in the West Sea have been survey extensively due to iconic bird specise such as White-naped Crane ( Grus vipio ) or Red-Crowned Crane ( Grus japonensis ) wintering there. However, the winter bird census is not covered near Yu istet, Han River Estuary. Yu islet is located within the Han River estuary, a protected wetland in the Neutral Zone between the two Koreas and north of Gimpo in the ROK. The islet currently supports a large, mixed breeding colony of waterbirds such as one of the nation's largest concentration of breeding Great Cormorants ( Phalacrocorax carbo ) and smaller numbers of breeding Black-faced Spoonbill ( Platalea minor ), Grey Heron ( Ardea cinereal ), Great Egret ( Ardea alba ) and Intermediate Egret ( Ardea intermedia ). The area has long been controled due to military reasons, but recently regular survey activity is possible supported by Gimpo city and military base in Gimpo from November 2018. Here, we provide data demonstrating that Yu islet is important for breeding for waterbirds; and that the northern Gimpo part of Han River estuary is also internationally important for waterbirds during migratory bird season as defined by the Ramsar Convention (Ramsar 1971, RRC-EA 2017). Especially, four waterbird species were found during the survey in the Main Survey Area: Swan Goose ( Anser cygnoides ), Taiga Bean Goose ( Anser fabalis ), Tundra Bean Goose ( Anser serrirostris) and Greater White-fronted Goose ( Anser frontalis ). ...