![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-lrpDSC08433-1024x762.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs1850-henharrierDSC08413-1024x709.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs15000-henharrierDSC08428-1024x813.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs1950-hoopoeDSC08085-1024x809.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-duskythrushDSC09345-1024x784.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-hybridthrushDSC08505-1024x805.jpg\")
Species of greatest note (with images \u00a9 Nial Moores) included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Lesser White-fronted Goose <\/strong>Anser erythropus<\/em> \ud770\uc774\ub9c8\uae30\ub7ec\uae30. Globally Vulnerable. A Second Calendar or less likely Third Calendar Year was with a small group of Greater White-fronted Geese in Sintap-Ri on March 29th.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-lwfgDSC08573-1024x803.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-lwfgDSC08166-1024x792.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-lwfgDSC07964-1024x770.jpg\")
Lesser White-fronted Goose<\/strong> \ud770\uc774\ub9c8\uae30\ub7ec\uae30 with Greater White-fronted Geese<\/strong> \uc1e0\uae30\ub7ec\uae30 \u00a9 Nial Moores. According to the online Birds of the World<\/em>, the combination of weak bill colour and worn tail feathers together with adult-like coverts etc apparently suggests that this individual is in “Formative” plumage. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n - \n
- Mandarin Duck<\/strong> Aix galericulata<\/em> \uc6d0\uc559. A total of 78 were logged, with 21 the largest group. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-mandarinsDSC08179-1024x698.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Scaly-sided Merganser<\/strong> Mergus squamatus<\/em> \ud638\uc0ac\ube44\uc624\ub9ac. Globally Endangered. This northward migration the highest day count was 53 (counted by Baek Seung-Kwang on March 23rd). During this survey, we counted 33, and watched the pair in the image below copulate. It is becoming increasingly obvious that in response to increasing levels of disturbance, this species is now found in fewer river stretches than even two years ago.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-ssmepairDSC08278-1024x743.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Hill Pigeon<\/strong> Columba rupestris<\/em> \ub0ad\ube44\ub458\uae30. Nationally Threatened. A total of only nine seen, including two chasing each other for extended periods – presumably part of courtship or prebreeding ritual as the same birds then flew into a presumed nesting crevice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-hillpigeonsDSC09081-1024x814.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Hooded Crane<\/strong> Grus monacha<\/em> \ud751\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8. Globally Vulnerable. Although flocks of many thousands can be seen at Suncheon and Seosan, this species is genuinely rare in Yeoncheon. Seven were seen in Baekhak on March 28th.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs1500-hoodiesDSC08324-1024x817.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-hoodedongroundDSC07916-1024x668.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Long-billed Plover <\/strong>Charadrius placidus<\/em> \ud770\ubaa9\ubb3c\ub5bc\uc0c8. Nationally Threatened. Perhaps due to the rather colder weather than last year (meaning very few birds were calling, and no obvious nesting behaviour was seen), we were only able to find 58 in total. This compares to a slightly higher 63 counted during the same period last year<\/a> when we had much less understanding of their distribution in the county.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-femalelongbilledDSC08567-1024x804.jpg\")
Female in a pair of Long-billed Plover<\/strong> Charadrius placidus<\/em> \ud770\ubaa9\ubb3c\ub5bc\uc0c8.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n In addition to the bird survey and detailed discussions about the conservation needs of target species, April 2nd produced three more highlights. The first was that Nial Moores, as National Director of Birds Korea, was made an honorary citizen of Yeoncheon County because of the work we have done there since 2021 (thank you for this honour); the second was that Mayor Kim Deok-hyeon and Director Park Tae-Won were able to see Scaly-sided Merganser for the first time; and the third was that eight Birds Koreans (seven of whom are from Yeoncheon) were then able to celebrate with dinner together that evening. Excellent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-honorary-citizenshipDSC08609-1024x682.jpg\")
Yeoncheon County Mayor Kim Deok-hyeon awards Dr Nial Moores with Honorary Citizenship of Yeoncheon County as acknowledgement of Birds Korea’s work there \u00a9 Baek Seung-Kwang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/rs2000-mayorwatching-scaliesDSC08618-1024x852.jpg\")
Yeoncheon County Mayor Kim Deok-hyeon <\/em>on right and Director Park Tae Won on left queuing to see Scaly-sided Merganser in the “flesh” (feather?) for the first time… (with Dr Yoo Miyeon, the Yeoncheon Imjin Biosphere Reserve manager, just returned from a presentation in the USA in centre).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Yes…Yeoncheon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bird News in Brief from Nial Moores, Baek Seung-Kwang and Lee Su-Young, with Kim Hee-Song and Lee Soojin (on 31st only). Another intensive survey in Yeoncheon at the cusp of a stubbornly reluctant spring, with several days with snow showers … read more<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":30426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bird-sightings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30406"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30437,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30406\/revisions\/30437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.birdskoreablog.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Long-billed Plover <\/strong>Charadrius placidus<\/em> \ud770\ubaa9\ubb3c\ub5bc\uc0c8. Nationally Threatened. Perhaps due to the rather colder weather than last year (meaning very few birds were calling, and no obvious nesting behaviour was seen), we were only able to find 58 in total. This compares to a slightly higher 63 counted during the same period last year<\/a> when we had much less understanding of their distribution in the county.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Hooded Crane<\/strong> Grus monacha<\/em> \ud751\ub450\ub8e8\ubbf8. Globally Vulnerable. Although flocks of many thousands can be seen at Suncheon and Seosan, this species is genuinely rare in Yeoncheon. Seven were seen in Baekhak on March 28th.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Hill Pigeon<\/strong> Columba rupestris<\/em> \ub0ad\ube44\ub458\uae30. Nationally Threatened. A total of only nine seen, including two chasing each other for extended periods – presumably part of courtship or prebreeding ritual as the same birds then flew into a presumed nesting crevice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Scaly-sided Merganser<\/strong> Mergus squamatus<\/em> \ud638\uc0ac\ube44\uc624\ub9ac. Globally Endangered. This northward migration the highest day count was 53 (counted by Baek Seung-Kwang on March 23rd). During this survey, we counted 33, and watched the pair in the image below copulate. It is becoming increasingly obvious that in response to increasing levels of disturbance, this species is now found in fewer river stretches than even two years ago.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Mandarin Duck<\/strong> Aix galericulata<\/em> \uc6d0\uc559. A total of 78 were logged, with 21 the largest group. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n