• 한국환경복원기술학회지
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

This study aims to provide the basic habitat data for the alternative breeding sites of Family Ardeidae including Ardea cinerea, Egretta alba modesta, Egretta intermedia, Egretta garzetta, Bubulcus ibis and Nycticorax nyciticorax. Species numbers, flight directions for detecting foraging grounds and current vegetation structure were investigated nesting at Gunsan urban forest area. Data were collected over a period of 10 weeks, from 15 June - 31 August 2014. The total nest and population of Family Ardeida were 684 and 1,712 respectively. Percentage of birds observed flying in 8 major compass directions were as follows. 57.27% of all birds were observed flying northwest, 22.09% were observed flying south and 13.40% were flying north. For possible foraging areas, to the northwest, there are Geumgang river tidal flats, and to the south, paddy fields and streams within 2km. Flying directions by species (${\chi}^2=287.18$, P<.001, Cramer's V=0.12) and by seasons(${\chi}^2=839.94$, P<.001, Cramer's V=0.19) showed significant difference statistically. In relation between species and directions, 60.31% and 24.05% of Bubulcus ibis and 59.40% and 23.00% of Ardea cinerea were observed flying northwest and south respectively. Vegetation in the sites consist of an overstory of 3 to 7 species. At site 1, Pinus thunbergii was the dominant species and site 2, Chamaecyparis obtusa. Understory vegetation is composed of shrubs, saplings and small trees of Chamaecyparis obtusa, Quercus acutissima, Smilax china and Platycarya strobilacea. Egrets and herons usually nested at the dense population and canopy overlayed forest, and especially branches and leaves of smallwood with less than 10cm of breast height diameter were relatively severely damaged due to the nesting and excreta.