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Black-faced Spoonbills |
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by Soyeon Cho | 15-02-2019 06:12
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In my February report titled “Ramsar Convention & Songdo, South Korea,” I discussed the vulnerable and endangered waterbirds in South Korea residing in natural and artificial wetlands such as the Songdo tidal flats and the Songdo Gojan-dong wetlands. One in particular is classified endangered (unlike others classified vulnerable such as the eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), great knot (Calidris tenuirostris) and Saunders’s gull (Larus saundersi)) by the IUCN: black-faced spoonbills, or 저어새 in Korean. The black-faced spoonbill is the most endangered species out of all species of spoonbills on the earth. When the first census of this species started in 1988, there were less than 300 of them in the entire world. Nevertheless, their population has increased due to efforts from multiple countries to protect their habitats, shown by how the 2017 census counted more than 3,900 birds (World Wildlife Fund). These birds spend their breeding season in South Korea and other Northeast Asian countries and fly south to Southeast Asia (although sometimes they hibernate in Jeju Island, South Korea) during the winter to spend time in a warmer climate before flying north in spring. However, these birds only have a few select spots they live in since human disturbances like bridge construction and taking photos during mating can easily push the spoonbills away from their habitats. Along with the Eurasian spoonbills (노랑부리저어새 in Korean), black-faced spoonbills are considered 205th Natural Monuments of Korea. South Korea has been making some preservation efforts by scientists to protect their breeding spots and reduce human disturbances, such as building artificial islands in existing breeding spots to provide the home for more spoonbills, but it often does not strictly prohibit development from severely damaging the delicate habitats of black-faced spoonbills, such as the Songdo tidal flats (natural wetland designated as a Ramsar site) and the Songdo Gojan-dong wetland (artificial wetland). Therefore, the valuable and endangered black-faced spoonbills should be further protected by not only certifying habitats for strict regulations on development but also promoting the species as a symbol of natural peace. “저어새 - Black-Faced Spoonbill.” World Wildlife Fund, World Wildlife Fund, www.wwfkorea.or.kr/get_involved/events/eco_tour/black_faced_spoonbill/.
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6 Comments
Thank you for your comments! There are many more endangered animals not only in South Korea but also around the world and more people should be taking action in their communities to help preserve them and their habitats. I hope to hear about other vulnerable species through your reports!
Posted 20-02-2019 23:29
Hello Soyeon
Too many species are going extinct due to human acts and now is truly the time that we take action to recover the loss.
Hope we could continue to see Black-faced Spoonbills around in the future too!
Thanks for the report :)
Posted 19-02-2019 19:20
Hello Soyeon,
Thank you for your report about spoonbill :)
Posted 18-02-2019 00:52
Kushal Naharki ,
You are a great source of motivation and inspiration to all
Posted 15-02-2019 15:37
Hi Soyeon Cho
you have really enlightened on the plight of the Black-faced Spoonbills. Very informative.
thank you
Posted 15-02-2019 15:36
Hello Soyeon
Thank you for your beautiful report. I had read your previous reports too. Many endangered and vulnerable animals are at the stage of extinction and few are already extinct. Special care, preservation and protection should be provided to them. Thanks for your report about black-faced spoonbills and their situation in korea.
Keep writing great report.
We are eager to read more reports from you.
Green Cheer from Nepal :) :)
Yours,
Kushal Naharki
Posted 15-02-2019 13:00