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/.