• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.168-177
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• 2019

This study was conducted to examine the impact of various environmental factors on the feeding behavior of black-faced spoonbills Platalea minor known to use rice fields during the breeding season. We surveyed the rice fields three times a month from April to June 2017 and from April to June 2018. We counted the number of black-faced spoonbills and measured the environmental factors such as the water depth, paddy type by cultivation stage, and biomass of potential prey that are expected to affect black-faced spoonbills. We also filmed the feeding behavior of black-faced spoonbills to examine differences in feeding behavior by environmental factors. The survey showed that the number of black-faced spoonbills reached its peak from late April to late May which was the breeding period. Among a total of 308 black-faced spoonbills observed, 86.4% (n=266) were observed feeding on rice paddies, 90.6% (n=279) were adults, and none was observed on dry paddies. The biomass of rice paddy increased significantly since May when fish started hatching, and there was a significant difference in the amount of biomass between the rice paddies where black-faced spoonbills were observed and other rice paddies. The analysis of the feeding behavior of black-faced spoonbills showed that the feeding efficiency and feeding success rate of black-faced spoonbills increased significantly when the amount of biomass soared and that the number of steps of black-faced spoonbills per minute increased greatly after rice planting was completed. The number of bill sweeping was not related to the feeding efficiency, feeding success rate, and paddy type by cultivation stage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.189-203
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• 2023

This study analyzed potential breeding sites for black-faced spoonbills on 70 non-breeding, uninhabited islands in Incheon, Korea, in order to suggest potential breeding sites for black-faced spoonbills, whose breeding population has recently been increasing. By comparing the environmental characteristics of breeding and non-breeding areas identified through a literature search, we developed a discriminant to identify potential breeding areas for black-faced spoonbills. Among a total of eight environmental variables(Island area, distance from land, distance to mudflat, distance to rice field, distance to sea route, depth of water, mudflat area, rice field area), the variables that influenced the selection of breeding sites for black-faced spoonbills were average water depth, tidal flat area, and paddy field area. As a result of discriminant analysis of breeding islands using these variables, the accuracy was found to be quite high at 80%. As a result of applying the developed discriminant to non-breeding islands located in the Incheon region, a total of 9 islands(Yongrando, Goseokdo, Beolyeom, Joreumseom, Goeriseom, Hambakdo, Moido, Bigajido, Ahyeom) were identified as potential breeding grounds for spoonbills. The research results can be used as basic data for future management of black-faced spoonbill breeding sites and selection of alternative habitats.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2020

Migratory birds use a variety of breeding and wintering sites, and it is particularly important to understand more information on breeding and feeding sites for the conservation and management of endangered species. Black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor) are an international endangered species distributed in East Asia. The majority of black-faced spoonbills breed on uninhabited islets off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula during the breeding season, and they are distributed in East Asia such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, southern China, Japan, and Jeju island during the winter season. In this study, we used a wild animal location tracking system to analyze and compare home ranges of three black-faced spoonbills spending the post-fledging stage in Gujido islet in Incheon and Chilsando islet in Yeonggwang each in 2015. The tree black-faced spoonbills in Guji islet showed a home range in coastal areas in Hwanghaenam-do and Gangneung-gun. The home range size (mean±SD) was estimated to be 425.49±116.95 ㎢ using 100% MCP, 43.61±18.51 ㎢ using KDE 95%, and 7.46±3.68 ㎢using KDE 50%. The tree black-faced spoonbills in Chilsando islet showed a home range in the Baeksu tidal flat and the Buan Saemangeum area with a size of 99.38±55.29 ㎢ using 100% MCP, 19.87±6.05 ㎢ using KDE 95%, and 1.16±0.53 ㎢ using KDE 50%. The figured indicated that the tree black-faced spoonbills breeding in Gujido islet had a wider home range than those breeding in Chilsando islet. During the post-fledging stage, the home ranges of black-faced spoonbills were mostly breeding in mudflats. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize human intervention, such as the construction of roads and structures and the human access, to protect the habitats during the period.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.29-33
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• 2017

This study was conducted to clarify the size of the home range and movement distance of juvenile black-faced spoonbills from post-fledging until fall migration using a Global Positioning System (GPS)-wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA)-based telemetry system along the west coast of South Korea. The home range of juvenile black-faced spoonbills (n = 3) was $45.2km^2$ in size and the core area consisted of $8.4km^2$ within the Baeksu mudflat, Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Mean weekly movement distances were not significantly different (Kruskal-Wallis test, Z = 3.47, P = 0.18) among individuals, ranging from 0.1 to 23.9 km during the study period. The home range and movement of juvenile black-faced spoonbills were related to intertidal areas, especially to their use as feeding areas.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.478-485
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• 2018

With the total population of 3,356 worldwide as of 2016, the black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) is designated as "endangered (EN)" species by IUCN. About 70% of population breeds on the uninhabited islands near the west coast of Korea and wintering area is Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, etc. However, there is few detail research in Korea and East Asia on black-faced spoonbill's long range migration and its habitat when migrating southward. We studied black-faced spoonbill's migration route, distribution, stopover, wintering sites, and timing of migration movements using a wild-tracker (WT-200, GPS-Mobile phone based telemetry, KoEco). We caught the black-faced spoonbills in the breeding sites (Gugi island, Bi island, Sangyeobawi, Chilsan island) in Korea in late June 2014. We attached the wild-tracker to 10 juvenile black-faced spoonbills. The tracking showed that the black-faced spoonbills started southward migration between late October and early November. The traveling distance to wintering site was maximum at 1,820 km, minimum at 746 km, the average at 1,201km. The maximum daily traveling distance was 1,479 km with an average of 782 km. The average days it took from breeding site to wintering site was 10 days (SD=10.7). The shortest duration was 2 days, and the longest duration was 34 days. Most individuals used 2-3 stopover sites between the breeding sites to the wintering sites and stayed almost 1-2 days (maximum 31 days). Stopover sites were wetlands such as rivers, streams, reservoir, and mud flat. The wintering sites were coastal areas (five individuals) in China, inland (one individual) in China, Taiwan (three individuals), and Japan (one individual). In conclusion, it is necessary to preserve the stopover sites and wintering site of the black-faced spoonbills through consultation and protection policy between countries and establish the systematic preservation measures and activity plans through continued moniting and additional studies.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.89-95
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• 2020

Our study was conducted to examine the nest attendance of the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) from 2015 to 2018 at two Islets located in Incheon, South Korea. We visited study sites in March-April and set up the remote sensor cameras at two breeding sites (Mae-do, Guji-do) to observe chick-rearing behavior. Mean nest bout length at Mae-do (female: 4.2 ± 0.1 hr, male: 4.0 ± 0.1 hr) was shorter than at Guji-do (female: 5.3 ± 0.2, male: 6.0 ± 0.3 hr), and trip duration at Mae-do (female: 4.4 ± 0.1 hr, male: 4.0 ± 0.1) was also shorter than at Guji-do (female: 7.0 ± 0.2 hr, male: 7.0 ± 0.3). Mean nest bout length and trip duration at both study sites decreased as chick rearing progressed. Males attended their nests during the daytime, and females attended their nests during the nighttime. Our results showed that females and males' duties were divided by the diel cycle, but the pattern of nest attendance could change depending on the environment of their breeding sites during the chick-rearing period.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.165-173
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• 2018

We sampled vomit of black-faced spoonbills(Platalea minor) during the brood-rearing season (from June 2011 to June 2014) at the Namdong reservoir in Incheon and analyzed the food components in the vomit using microscopy and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Microscopic observations primarily helped in identifying osteichthyes (bony fishes), crustaceans, and polychaetes. In particular, species belonging to the families Mugilidae and Gobiidae among the fish, and Macrophthalmus japonicas among the crustaceans, were observed at high frequency. Results of NGS analysis revealed the predominant presence of bony fish (42.58% of total reads) and crustaceans (40.75% of total reads), whereas others, such as polychaetes (12.66%), insects (0.24%), and unidentified species (3.78%), occurred in lower proportions. At the species level, results of NGS analysis revealed that Macrophthalmus abbreviates and Macrobrachium sp. among the crustaceans, and Acanthogobius hasta, Tridentiger obscurus, and Pterogobius zacalles among the bony fish, made up a high proportion of the total reads. These food species are frequently found at tidal flats in the Songdo and Sihwa lakes, emphasizing the importance of these areas as potential feeding sites of the black-faced spoonbill. Feed composition of the black-faced spoonbill, as evaluated by analyzing its vomit, differed when the evaluations were done by microscopic observation or by NGS analysis. Evaluation by microscopic observation is difficult and not error free, owing to the degradation of the samples to be analyzed; however, NGS analysis is more accurate, because it makes use of genetic information. Therefore, accurately analyzing food components from morphologically indistinguishable samples is possible by using genetic analysis.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.73-87
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• 2004

This study was carried out on Sihwa reclaimed area from January to December in 2003. We observed total 169,351 individuals of 70 species(22 species of waders, 9 species of egrets and 5 species of gulls). Waterbird population was the largest in March(95,465 individuals) and was the smallest from April to June(less than 7,000 individuals). The most dominant species was Pintail(Anas acuta: 58,627 individuals, 34.6%) and other species were Mallards(Anas platyrhynchos: 24.5%), Common Pochards(Aythya ferina: 13.8%), Black-tailed Gulls(Larus crassirostris: 6.1%), Spotbill Ducks(Anas poecilorhyncha: 5.0%) and Greater Scaups(Aythya marila: 2.69%). Sihwa reclaimed area supported many kinds of protected species such as Chinese egrets(Egretta eulophotes), Black-faced Spoonbills(Platalea minor), Eurasian Spoonbills(Platalea leucorodia), Mute Swans(Cygnus olor), Whooper Swans(Cygnus cygnus), and Eurasian Oystercatchers(Haematopus ostralegus). They foraged at waterside of Sihwa lake and rested at reclaimed area. Particularly, Eurasian Oystercatchers bred in habitats with Salicornia herbacea and Suaeda japonica. Reclamation of mud flats and construction of roads, transmission towers and tide embankments disturbed waterbirds in breeding and foraging. We suggest that waterbirds are protected in different action plans according to their status such as breeding, passaging and wintering birds. Maintaining of waterside and swamps in Sihwa reclaimed area will be useful for breeding waterbirds. It is needed to make a protect zone for ecological connecting belt from Oeji isarea, Hyeong isarea, Eum isarea to upper channel on Sihwa lake.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.703-709
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• 2015

A breeding pair of the Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor was firstly recorded on Chilsando Islands, Younggwang, Jeollanamdo Province in 1991. Since the mid 2000s, breeding population on the breeding sites has gradually increased. This study was conducted to identify breeding status and nest site characteristics of the species from May to August, 2013 on Chilsando Islands. We recorded number of nests, length and width of the nest base, slope around the nests, nest materials, distances from the nearest nest, presence of nest cover and nesting area. In 2013 breeding season, 25 of 49 nests produced at least one successful fledging. A total of 55 youngs were successfully fledged and number of fledging per nest was 2.20 individuals. Nesting area was $77.8m^2$ and $93.4m^2$ for Sansando and Yuksando Islet, respectively. Soil and soil mixed with tree root were preferred for substrate of nest base over rock and Brassica napus was dominantly selected as nest materials by Black-faced Spoonbills. Nest characteristics of 22 nests in Sasando and Yuksando Islet varied $49.59{\pm}6.53cm$(mean${\pm}$SD) for length of nest base, $41.00{\pm}5.82cm$ for width of nest base, $20.85{\pm}9.96^{\circ}$ for slope above the nest, $34.09{\pm}17.75^{\circ}$ for slope below the nest and $130.82{\pm}84.17cm$ for distances from the nearest nest. Fifteen pairs (68.2%) occupied where nest cover existed. Nest cover were located in front of the nest for 5 pairs, back of the nest for 9 pairs and both front and back of the nest for 1 pair.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.483-490
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• 2020

This study aims to construct an ecological community and lay the foundation for sustainable development in the Korean Peninsula by promoting cooperation between the South and North Korea in the non-political and no-military natural environment sector under the rapidly changing inter-Korean relations. It analyzed South Korea's aid and international cooperation projects in natural environmental sectors in North Korea and examined North Korea's national plan and the cooperation projects that North Korea proposed to the international community to identify potential cooperation projects. It selected 15 potential cooperation projects and 6 crucial factors to be considered in prioritizing the projects through case studies and the first expert survey (five persons). The six crucial factors were i) urgency, ⅱ) linkage between North and South Korea (ecological community in the Korean Peninsula), ⅲ) contribution to sustainable development (prosperity), i) North Korea's acceptability, ⅴ) cooperation conditions and budget, and ⅵ) project sustainability. The second expert survey (14 persons) focused on prioritizing the 15 potential inter-Korean cooperation projects in line with six crucial factors. The 15 potential inter-Korean cooperation projects in the natural environment were comprehensively reviewed and scored based on the six crucial factors. The resulting priority projects were identified as follow: i) Mt. Seorak - Mt. Keumgang International Peace Park, ⅱ) support and cooperation for agro-forestry, ⅲ) joint conservation projects for internationally important migratory birds (such as Black-faced Spoonbills and Cranes), iv) inter-Korean ecotourism linkage and promotion, and ⅴ) establishment of integrated information system on leading ecosystems and biodiversity in the Korean Peninsula. The priority cooperation projects presented in this study are based on the perception of experts engaged in inter-Korean natural environmental cooperation in consideration of existing cooperation cases and conditions. For the actual implementation of these potential projects, a systematic approach, including the formation of consensus between North and South Koreas and the creation of a cooperative network with suitable partners suitable for each project's characteristics, would be needed.