• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 2010

There are only 10,000 Saunders' Gull's (Larus saundersi Swinhoe) surviving in the world today. But they are being threatened by coastal habitat, degradation, development pressure and disturbance by humans. Their first breeding record in Korea was in 1998 and the breeding status has been studied, however, the breeding status is not sufficient for this species. This study was performed from May 1999 to June 2009 to clarify breeding populations and trend of the Saunders' Gull population in Korea. The results indicate that the breeding population has been increasing gradually from 300 to 1,300 individuals, though disturbance increased. As threats to the breeding birds, physical environmental factors such as development and human disturbance were identified as a major threatening factors. Also, as a secondary factor, eggs and chicks are falling pray to predators. Incheon bay breeding places have been created by a landfill projects for the purpose of urban and industrial development, thus, these places will no longer be available for this species. In addition, the breeding habitat has been reduced and changed by expansions of development on the ground. Therefore, well planed management schemes should be provided for the species' breeding population to be continually breed and survive.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.277-282
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• 2009

Saunders' gulls (Laurs saundersi) which are listed as globally vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List are distributed in East Asia and breed mainly in China and Korea. Their population is estimated to be between 7,100 to 9,600. Songdo reclaimed lands in the western coast of South Korea are the main breeding sites for these species. However, most of these breeding sites have been seriously disturbed in the last several years because of new urban development constructions. This study was conducted to provide baseline data on the breeding ecology of Saunders' gulls. Since 1998, the breeding population has rapidly increased in South Korea, with the number of nests rising from 85 nests in 2000 to 185 nests in 2005. Egg volume is more variable than breadth or length. Clutch size, hatching and breeding success were $2.9{\pm}0.81$ (n=182, mean$\pm$sd.), 48.07% (75 hatched egg/156 eggs) and 29.08% (155 fledglings/533 eggs), respectively. Factors affecting breeding failure were predation, rainfall, starvation and supernormal clutches. These results are provided along with other cited literature to argue for conservation of Saunders' gulls.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.115-121
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• 2002

Yubu Island is located within the estuary of the Geum River, South Chungcheong Province $(35^{\circ}59'N,\;126^{\circ}36'E)$, Korea. The island is surrounded by a broad and sandy mudflat, which is typical in the west coast of Korea, and is located 4km off from Gunsan City. Less than 100 humans live on the island, occupying 30 houses. After we discovered that this island was a very important waterbird habitat especially for the East Asian subspecies of the Eurasian oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus osculans. Waterbirds were monitored once every month from August 1999 to July 2000. The highest number of oystercatchers counted was 3,200 in December 1999, and the birds seemed to remain in the area continuously from September to next February. About 200 breeding and non-breeding birds remained during the breeding season. In August, early migrants returned to the island, with the number reaching 1,060 individuals. This island is also very important for other waterbirds. Endangered or significant species occurring at this site, and their maximum counts were: chinese egret Egretta eulophotes (5), black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor (17), brant Branta bernicla (1), common shelduck Tadorna tadorna (8,000), hooded crane Grus monacha (2), spoon-billed sandpiper Ewynorhynchus pygmeus (7), dunlin Calidris alpina (6,500), great knot Calidris tenuirostris (24,000), far eastern curlew Numenius madagascariensis (2,500), spotted greenshank Tringa guttifer (4) and Saunders's gull Larus saundersi (1,200). During the 12 month survey period, we observed 52 waterbird species and the total of the maximum counts for the separate species was 73,308, implying that perhaps 150,000 birds could be using the immediate area, if a turnover rate of 2 was assumed.