Bird news by Dr. Bernhard Seliger and Felix Glenk of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea together with Spike Millington, CEO of EAAFP, Raphael Glement and Angela Joehl Cardena of IUCN and the very supportive team of Mr. Kim and Ms. Pang of the Ministry of Land and Environment Planning and local researcher of the State Academy of Sciences, Mr. Yu
Mundok migratory bird reserve in Mundok county, Pyongyan-bukdo, is one of the most important migratory bird reserves in the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea (North Korea). Here, sometimes more than 40.000 Swan Goose stay and numerous other threatened water birds. Summer is a relatively calm period, but still a number of interesting observations could be made. Unexpectedly, a single Swan Goose swam along the river, presumably either sick or too exhausted to travel further. Though bird identification was difficult without a scope, more than 200 Terek Sandpiper, plus smaller numbers of Far Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Common Greenshank and Grey Plover were seen, as well as Mongolian and Black-tailed gulls. Also somewhat unexpected was the presence of at least twelve Common Shelducks, usually winter visitors. In the reed fields, several Yellow Bittern and at least one Von Schrenck`s Bittern, Chinese Pond Heron, Common Moorhen and Watercock were seen (one on a close range in a rice paddy). Also, there were dozens of Oriental Reed Warblers, many of them mimicking the sounds of redshanks and other waders.
Mundok, which already is a Flyway Network Site under the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership, is currently considered to become a Ramsar site, which might also mean a much larger protected area. Still, a lot of human activity is going on. But the site is one of the hotspots of migration in the bottleneck, the Yellow sea presents in the East Asian Australasian flyway. It is encouraging that the number of international visitors to Mundok rose in the last years, including the excellent survey work by Miranda Naturalist´s Trust and recently the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia. International visits also enhance the national understanding of the importance of the site. Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea is committed to support the protection of habitats of migratory birds on the entire Korean Peninsula.
Team with EAAFP-flag (Raphael Glement and Angela Joehl Cardena from IUCN, Dr. Bernhard Seliger of Hanns-Seidel-Foundation, Spike Millington, CEO of the EAAFP Secretariat and Mr. Kim of the Ministry of Land and Environment Planning) © Felix Glenk
Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis © Bernhard Seliger
A flock of Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus © Bernhard Seliger
Watercock Gallicrex cinerea © Bernhard Seliger
The vast mudflats of Mundok © Felix Glenk