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Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris, April 2008, Photo © Shim Kyu-Sik.

The Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris is a bivalve-specialist confined to Asia (where it breeds in the Far North-East) and Australia (where the vast majority spend the boreal winter), with a global population estimated at 385,000 (Wetlands International, 2006). Undertaking massive migrations, most of the world’s Great Knot stage in the Yellow Sea on both northward and southward migration, with some in March and April apparently migrating direct to Korea from Australia, and others, based on leg-flag observations, first staging on the Chinese coast. In total, South Korean tidal-flats are believed to support 150,000 Great Knot on northward and 160,000 on southward migration respectively (Moores, 2006), with huge, dense flocks concentrated on extensive shellfish-rich tidal-flats in two main areas: Saemangeum and the Geum Estuary in the west, and Gyeonggi Bay in the northwest. Until seawall closure in 2006, the Saemangeum area held the world’s largest concentration of the species (with for example a single count there of 123,745: in Moores et al., 2006), while further sites such as Asan Bay and Namyang Bay have also been extremely important for the species (e.g. 18,000 and 12,500 were counted at the two sites on May 8^th and 9^th, 1998: Moores, 1999). Now, reclamation of Saemangeum, of Namyang Bay (with the seawall also closed there in 2006), and of most of the tidal-flats of Asan Bay (still ongoing) apparently threatens the long-term health of the global population of this species. The ongoing Birds Korea-Australasian Wader Studies Group Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program (April-May, 2006-2008), and the National Shorebird Survey (conducted along the west and south coasts of South Korea between May 3^rd and 15^th, 2008) both aim to gather scientifically rigorous data on the numbers of Great Knot and other shorebird species remaining in Korea – helping to assess the impacts of tidal-flat reclamation, and supporting domestic and international calls for the conservation of shorebirds and their highly threatened tidal-flat habitat.

References

• Moores, N. 1999. A survey of the distribution and abundance of shorebirds in South Korea during 1998-1999. Stilt 34: 18-29.
• Moores, N. 2006. South Korea’s Shorebirds: a review of abundance, distribution, threats and conservation status. Stilt (50) 2006: 62-72. Published by the Australasian Wader Studies Group.

  (Available as PDF-document here).

• Moores, N., Battley, P., Rogers, D., Park M-N, Sung H-C, van de Kam, J., & K. Gosbell, 2006. Birds Korea-AWSG Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program Report, 2006. Birds Korea publication, Busan.

  (Available as PDF-document here).

• Wetlands International. 2006. Waterbird Population Estimates – Fourth Edition. Wetlands International, Wangeningen, The Netherlands

Birds Korea Update for Members: April 2008.

This Birds Korea update covers the period April 1^st - April 30^th, 2008 and has three parts:

• Conservation News
• Birds Korea News
• Bird News (highlights of interesting bird records from South Korea, sent into Birds Korea or reported on other websites)

• Conservation News

The national Yeonhap News Agency reported on April 30^th that there have now been 29 outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) confirmed so far this year, with five further potential outbreaks also undergoing detailed investigation.
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• Birds Korea News

Thanks to the strength and success of the partnership with the AWSG; to the commitment and tremendous support of participants and supporters; and of course to funding from private donors and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (many sincere thanks to all), the SSMP has again been underway throughout April this year ...
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• Birds News

This month’s bird news update was written by Mr. Tim Edelsten and edited by Mr. Nial Moores.
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