Tuesday 19 July 2022

Field Survey of Major Wetland Biodiversity Areas Conducted

                                                                          










The Biodiversity Institute of the State Academy of Sciences conducted a field survey of the major wetland biodiversity areas on the coast of North and South Phyongan provinces between late April and early May.

Estimated during the survey were the amount of water bird resources that make stopovers in the spring migration period and their habitats in the Mundok Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which is registered as a Ramsar site and an East Asian-Oceanian flyway network site, and in the Taegyedo, Honggondo and Kwaksan reclaimed tidelands on the coast of North Phyongan Province.

Observed in the Mundok Migratory Bird Sanctuary in this period were nearly 4 000 water birds of over 30 species including such globally-endangered species as far-eastern curlew (EN) and swan geese (VU), of which far-eastern curlew amounts to over three percent of its total population in the world.

About 5 000 water birds of over 30 species including far-eastern curlew (EN) and common pochard (VU) were registered in the Taegyedo reclaimed tideland, and greater scaup that amounts nearly one percent of its population in the region were observed.

Besides, blackfaced spoonbill (EN), far-eastern curlew (EN), common pochard (VU) and other 10 000 water birds of over 40 species were registered in the Honggondo reclaimed tideland. Among them, far-eastern curlew accounts for over one percent of its total population across the world.

Observed in the Kwaksan reclaimed tideland were nearly 12 000 water birds of more than 30 species including blackfaced spoonbill (EN), far-eastern curlew (EN) and common pochard (VU). Far-eastern curlew amounts to more than four percent of its 

total population in the world, whimbrel and dunlin over four percent and one percent of their populations in the region, respectively.

The institute, based on these results, carries on the work of designing afresh and registering migratory bird (wetland) reserves of national significance through the estimation of the protective value of the relevant regions.

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