Hill Pigeons and more in Gimpo Han River Estuary

Dr. Bernhard Seliger and Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi (Hanns-Seidel-Foundation Korea, Birds Korea)

What a pleasant surprise! For the first time in eight years of more or less regular surveys in Han Estuary, we saw a flock of 10 Hill Pigeons in the area. Now, Hill Pigeons, though not exactly extinct in South Korea, are confined to a few places a long the West Coast and at the inner-Korean border, in particular in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi-do, but also for example, in Gangwha-do. Might they have come from North Korea, where they are much more frequent than in the South? Maybe due to the “noise-war”, which the North Koreans fought with scratchy and scary noises frightening humans and animals to overcome South Korean broadcasting messages? It was, by the way, a serene peace at the border area (as far as it goes in Korea – booming sounds to shy away tree sparrows, traffic and bicyclists with their radios were as loud as ever), thanks to the end of this kind of exchanges between both sides. Anyway, very happy to add this species to the Han Estuary species list!

Other interesting birds included great views of two Chinese Sparrowhawks, a Black-capped Kingfisher and the usual summer visitors: Black-faced Spoonbills, Black-naped Orioles, a lot of Dollarbirds, two flocks of 60 and 80 White-cheeked Starlings, Manchurian Bush Warbler etc. On Yudo islet, breeding activity was ongoing (for Great Cormorants, Great Egret, Grey Heron, and Intermediate Egrets as well as Black-faced Spoonbills).

You can find the complete bird lists at:

(Siam part) https://ebird.org/checklist/S253381414

(Yudo part) https://ebird.org/checklist/S253381402