Work continues on our collaborative wetland restoration project at Maekdo Ecopark in the Gangseo District of Busan City, kindly supported by SER and Microsoft, and conducted under Birds Korea’s MOU with the Busan Nakdong River Projects Management Office.
Maekdo, although closed to the public until the end of March due to concerns over Avian Influenza, is one of a chain of Ramsar-defined internationally important wetlands that through the movements of waterbirds connect key estuarine habitats in Busan (e.g., Myeongji and the restored wetlands on Eulsuk Island) with relict floodplain wetlands along the Nakdong River at Maekdo, Samnak and Daejo. These in turn connect with the wonderful wetlands in neighboring Gimhae at Hwapocheon, and the more famous still Junam in Changwon and Upo in Changnyeong County.
Typical species at Maekdo in winter include geese, swans, raptors, skylarks and buntings – with Yellow-throated, Rustic and Pallas’s Reed among the three commonest wintering small landbirds there – while spring migration includes a scattering of shorebirds and summer regulars include small numbers of Zitting Cisticola and Common Cuckoo, Eurasian Hobby and many Oriental Reed Warbler.
Probably no bird species better represents Maekdo in winter and links together all of the “Lower Nakdong Wetlands” than the Eastern Taiga Bean Goose 큰부리큰기러기 Anser fabalis middendorffii. This is because these Lower Nakdong Wetlands support the vast majority of the “Korea Non-Breeding Population” of this taxon from November-February. Although more research is needed, the total population of middendorffii is estimated in 2026 on the Waterbirds Population Estimate portal as only 41,200 individuals, with 7,700 of these wintering in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Strong declines have been observed in wintering areas in PR China and especially in that part of the breeding range in the Russian Federation where Korea’s Eastern Taiga Bean originate.
Degradation of wetlands along the Nakdong River means that a substantial proportion of the c. 1,500 Eastern Taiga Bean wintering in Busan now need natural foraging to be supplemented by artificial food – grain provided by government bodies. Although essential to the species’ survival during severe weather, this can result in a higher risk of their exposure to Avian Influenza. It also benefits only a small number of other species (most especially Whooper Swans, Common Pheasant, Oriental Magpies and “Far Eastern” Skylarks). The most economical and genuinely sustainable long-term solutions to habitat degradation, as intended by the Sustainable Development Goals, are habitat enhancement, restoration and creation.
Our pilot restoration project aims to reduce this dependence on artificial food by reprofiling one of the fields used for artificial feeding (this to be done in March by Land Aura together with staff from Maekdo and Busan); then to keep this area supplied with water; and next to seed and plant it with native wetland vegetation often foraged on by Eastern Taiga Bean Goose under the expert supervision of Professor Byun Chaeho and colleagues. Planting and seeding will be conducted primarily by volunteers in the first two weeks of April. Monitoring of the site will continue for two years as part of this project.
In addition to assessing changes in plant diversity, part of the research in 2026 and 2027 will be to assess whether or not there are changes in populations of invertebrates and the bird species community; another element will be to continue improving understanding of the potential bird strike risk and on ways to reduce it (research so far suggests that very few of the geese at Maekdo cross the flight path of aircraft – instead, when disturbed, most fly east across the river, away from the path of arriving aircraft, to the wetland in the southern half of Samnak Eco-park).
In early 2026, work as part of our collaborative restoration project has included meetings on finalising permissions for the re-profiling; filming of geese and other waterbirds by Korea’s top bird Youtuber 새덕후 as part of the project’s awareness-raising component; preparation of the planting and volunteer activities; and research on birds, with weekly counts through late January and February in Maekdo and the lower parts of Samnak Eco-park across the river in Saha-Gu.
Since discussions on this project with the Nakdong Estuary Eco-centre and the Project Management Office started in spring last year, our research has so far found 21 priority bird species at Maekdo (i.e., bird species assessed as Nationally or Globally Threatened or as National Natural Monuments), with seven of these assessed as Globally Threatened. eBird adds one more: Seo Mingyun saw three (and photographed one) globally Endangered Oriental Stork at Maekdo on February 17th.
Among many observations of note in January and February:
Tundra Swan 고니 Cygnus columbianus. One adult in among the Whooper Swan flock in the Lotus Ponds on January 22nd.
Whooper Swan 큰고니 Cygnus cygnus. After peaking in mid-December (when 1,180 were present – an internationally important 2% of the “East Asia Population” according to the Waterbirds Population Estimate Portal), the highest count so far in 2026 was 695 on January 24th.
Greylag Goose Anser anser 회색기러기 . Now recorded annually in the ROK, but still exceptionally rare in Busan (first city record?)…one was seen on several dates in January by birdwatchers in the main Lotus Ponds. My only sighting was of presumably the same individual seen in flight by the main road about 7km north at Daejo on February 12th.
Eastern Taiga Bean Goose 큰부리큰기러기 Anser fabalis middendorffii My highest count at Maekdo was 817 on February 26th, representing 10-11% of the Korea Non-Breeding Population of the species. At the adjacent Samnak, I counted 1,349 on February 12th.
Ferruginous Duck 적갈색흰죽지 Aythya nyroca. Since the first national record in 2002, has steadily increased nationally, with perhaps 20-50 nationwide in 2024 and 2025. Following two seen in December, one male and one presumed “pure” female were seen on the river on January 24th
Baer’s Pochard 붉은가슴흰죽지 Aythya baeri. Globally Critically Endangered. One near-“pure” adult male was present throughout, with a second more obviously hybrid Baer’s x Ferruginous also present on the February 26th.
The near-pure adult male was present in the same wetland last winter, when my perception was that a troubling patch of bright brown on the crown became less distinct through the winter. This winter, it appears that the patch might have got a little smaller, but it is persistent and often takes on an orangey gloss – indicating some other influence, presumably from Ferruginous Duck. Remarkably, two very similar looking individuals have been seen this winter, with one in Japan reported on Kantori on February 22nd by Wilkins Micawber and one in Shenzen in Southern China (via Siyul Lee in Hong Kong). A second bird was found nearby at Maekdo on February 26th, and in addition to showing some orange-brown on the crown, differences from Baer’s included that the bill looked less big and the head a little too peaked, and the flanks showed very restricted white on the foreflanks.
It would be very interesting to hear peoples’ thoughts on how to assess such birds. The second individual seems to show many of the features expected in hybrid Ferruginous x Baer’s seen over the past two decades, so can easily be listed as hybrid. However, the first individual and the birds in Japan and Shenzen seem to be much closer to Baer’s. Considering the recent small recovery in population of Baer’s Pochard, could these perhaps be Second or even Third Generation hybrids? Should these birds that are clearly almost “pure” Baer’s be labelled as Baer’s or should they too be listed as hybrids?
Of potential interest to any such discussion, a captive Baer’s Pochard linked to through Birds of the World (labelled: A Emmerson, 27 Apr 2014, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom) looks very Baer’s like, but also shows a very small patch of orange-brown on the crown; as do e.g., images ML536345561 from Beijing in 2023 and especially ML615490250 from Assam in 2024. Indeed, nine out of the first 25 males with images labelled as Baer’s Pochard that I looked at in the Macaulay Library showed some warmth on the crown (with several of these birds more obviously hybrids, as they show additional anomalies suggesting influence from Ferruginous Duck).
Northern Lapwing 댕기물떼새 Vanellus vanellus. Globally Near Threatened. Rather local winter visitor to the ROK with <500 estimated to overwinter in the ROK. Although one or two remained at Maekdo and 4-5 at Samnak through the winter, 34+ at Maekdo and seven at Samnak, including a pair in display flight, on February 26th suggest that northward migration is now properly underway…
Great Cormorant 민물가마우지 Phalacrocorax carbo. Numbers appeared to peak in the first two weeks of February, when 1,400-2,500+ were flying down (and up?) river, with flocks of several hundred flying from the Seo-Nakdong to the Nakdong proper, potentially across the flight path of aircraft.
Eurasian Eagle-Owl 수리부엉이 Bubo bubo. One was at Maekdo on at least January 23rd and 24th.
Greater Spotted Eagle 항라머리검독수리 Clanga clanga. VU. A rare migrant and winter visitor in the ROK. Three birds over-wintered in Busan in 2025/ 2026, with at least remaining into early February: an adult in the estuary, a fresh-looking juvenile (2cy in January) which prefered Maekdo; and a perhaps older immature, which seemed to move between Samnak and Maekdo.
White-tailed Eagle 흰꼬리수리 Haliaeetus albicilla. An adult and an immature were present throughout.
Rough-legged Buzzard 털발말똥가리 Buteo lagopus. Scarce in the ROK most winters; and always rare in Busan. One was present on January 24th.
Merlin 쇠황조롱이 Falco columbarius. A female was present at dawn on February 12th.
Peregrine Falcon 매 Falco peregrinus. A young bird was present in the fields on February 5th and an adult was present there on February 26th.
Dusky Warbler 솔새사촌 Phylloscopus fuscatus. A common migrant and increasingly regular over-winterer in coastal areas. Rare in the southeast. Present throughout, with four on February 5th the highest day-count.
Siberian Rubythroat 진홍가슴 Calliope calliope. A locally common migrant, especially along the west coast, and very rare breeder on Seorak Mountain in the northeast. Very few winter records. One was heard on January 11th.
Richard’s Pipit 큰밭종다리 Anthus richardi. A regular migrant along the west coast that overwinters annually on Jeju in very small numbers. One was present from November through to at least February 5th.
Birds Korea is a small organisation with a large and expanding workload. If you are interested in our work, have some time and relevant skills (e.g., a working knowledge of Korean and English, and of birds, plants, invertebrates, environmental design or environmental education) and would like to involve more deeply with us in Busan or anywhere in the ROK, please contact me directly (Nial.Moores at birdskorea dot org): thank you!