• Animal cells and systems
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 2005

This study was conducted to reveal tree species preference and inter-specific difference of foraging behavior among four canopy-dwelling birds at forest dominated by Quercus mongolica, Acer pseudosieboldian and Carpinus cordata at 1,000 meters above sea level during breeding season of birds from 1995 to 1997 in Mt. Jumbongsan. Breeding birds were about 25 species and dominant birds were Erithacus cyane, Parus ater and Parus palustris. A relatively high number of bush-nesters can be a characteristic of breeding bird community at study area. Three gleaners (Tits, P. varius, P. palustris and P. ater) selectively preferred the trees irrespective of dominant tree species, whereas bark foragers (Nuthatch, Sitta europaea) utilized the dominant trees. The four birds showed significant inter-specific difference in use of foraging location, but the three tits did not show significant inter-specific difference in use of foraging maneuver and trees. Closely related tits may coexist with each other by inter-specific different use of foraging location determined by foliage structure and leaf arrangement.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.850-857
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• 2015

This study was aimed to identify the characteristics of nest and breeding site conditions of Chinese Egret (Egretta europhotes) that breed in the uninhabited islets of the western coast of South Korea. It is expected that the information collected through this study can contribute to providing basic information required when building and managing artificial nests in their natural breeding habitats. Chinese Egrets make their nests in the shrub layers of Long Leaf Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus macrophylla), Arrow Bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica), and Baby Brier (Rosa multiflora). A total of 50 breeding nests of Chinese Egret were investigated in June and July 2013, with area-wise distribution as follows: Seomando (11 nests), Hwangseodo (14 nests), Mokdo (10 nests), and Napdaekiseom (15 nests). Vegetation coverage (cover, %), height from the ground to the top (height, cm), thickness from top to bottom of the nest (thickness, cm), reuse period, major axis (cm), minor axis (cm), and depth (cm) of each nest were measured. According to the results of the study on the nest characteristics of 4 breeding groups, the nests in Hwangseodo had the highest coverage, the nests in Mokdo were built in the highest places, the nests in Napdaekiseom showed the longest reuse period, and the nests in Mokdo had the greatest depth. The differences in height and reuse period were significant between Mokdo and Napdaekiseom. Moreover, there were significant differences in reuse period and depth between Seomando and Hwangseodo. There were significant differences in cover, minor axis, and depth between breeding groups that built nests on Arrow Bamboo (Mokdo and Napdaekiseom) and Baby Brier (Seomando and Hwangseodo). Nest characteristics of Chinese Egret were generally similar, while some variables showed different values for different breeding groups.

• 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.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.

• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 1998.10b
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• pp.157.2-157
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.341-346
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• 2007

Nest density was determined and tree and soil characteristics around Nycticorax nycticorax breeding sites and non-breeding sites on Bamsum Island in Seoul were analyzed from May 2005 to October 2006 to identify breeding site preferences of N. nycticorax and the effects of N. nycticorax nesting density on nesting tree structure and soil characteristics. N. nycticorax preferred trees of low height ($3.5{\sim}6$ m) and small diameter at breast height in high density Salix communities. Excrement of heron juveniles was dropped on the soil under the nests. The soil nutrient content under nests (P: 126.0 mg/kg, N: 202.8 mg/kg, EC: 549 ${\mu}S/cm$, pH 4.7) was much higher than that of control soils from Bamsum Island not enriched by heron excrement (P: 41.5 mg/kg, N: 42.0 mg/kg, EC: 342 ${\mu}S/cm$, pH 5.1). Formation of Salix communities on the shores of Bamsum Island is ongoing, and their structure has been directly influenced by annual flooding. After flooding, the nutrient content differences between heron-affected soils and control soils were not significant. This might be the reason that Salix communities on Bamsum were not affected by nesting herons as in other terrestrial communities where herons nest. This result indicates that flooding plays an important role in sustaining Salix communities on Bamsum Island where herons nest. The results of this study may increase understanding of N. nycticorax breeding behavior which may be useful for conservation planning.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2008

To determine the age structure of a Hynobius leechii breeding population and analyze relationships between the order of entrance to breeding ponds and physical parameters and age, we studied a wild population of the species in the Research Forests of Kangwon National University in Chuncheon, Kangwon, South Korea from March 16 to April 13, 2005. The age of breeding males ranged one to nine years old and that of females ranged from three to nine years old. The asymptotic sizes of males and females were 6.36 and 6.51 cm, respectively, and the growth coefficients of males and females were 0.71 and 0.81, respectively. The snout-vent length (SVL), head length, and body mass of males were all positively correlated with their age, but female age did not show a significant relationship with any physical parameter. The tail depth, body mass, and condition factors (SVL/body mass $\times$ 100) of both males and females were negatively related with the order of entrance to the breeding pond. The head width and SVL of males were also negatively correlated with the order of entrance, but the SVL of females was positively related with the order of entrance. These results suggest that physical parameters are more important determinants of breeding migration patterns than age. We discuss which of two hypotheses, the mate opportunity hypothesis and the susceptibility hypothesis, is better able to explain the order of entrance to breeding ponds for male and female H. leechii.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.357-363
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• 2011

To examine factors affecting feeding efficiency of grey herons (Ardea cinerea), the foraging behavior was studied at a reservoir in Asan city, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea during the breeding seasons (from April to July) of 2006 and 2007. Four factors (age of foraging birds, time of day, breeding stage, and microhabitat type) were analyzed. Adults were more efficient foragers than recently fledged juveniles, and they had a higher success rate than juveniles. About half of the adults caught large prey, whereas most juveniles caught only small prey. Adult grey herons had different feeding efficiency according to the breeding stage. Pecking and capture rates were high during the late period (fledging stage), and biomass intake rates were high during the early (incubating stage) and late periods. However, time of day had no significant effect on foraging activity of adult grey herons. Feeding activities of adult grey herons also showed significant variation among microhabitat types. Pecking and capture rates were higher in the submerged plants area, but capture success rate and biomass intake rate were not different according to microhabitat type.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2005

This study was conducted to develop the predictive model for species richness of breeding birds by multivariate analysis of land covers (percentage value of each cover in 300 $\times$ 300m grid) including water area (WA), urbanized area (UA), green area (GA), forest area (FA) and agricultural area (AA) at Seongnam City in Korea. Fifty-nine species of birds were mapped on 155 grids in size of 300 $\times$ 300 m from 2000 to 2001. Species richness of breeding birds was significantly regressed ($R^2=0.85$, n=155) by estimates of WA ($4.59{\pm}1.13$, P<0.0001), UA ($6.50{\pm}0.86$, P<0.0001), GA ($7.11{\pm}1.25$, P<0.0001), FA ($8.51{\pm}0.62$, P<0.0001), and AA ($4.59{\pm}1.13$, P<0.0001). In validation of model, the results show no significant difference between predicted value of species richness and observed one. Developed model can be used as a predictive model of species richness of birds for selecting the proper location of corridors and parks in urban area.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2006

During the breeding seasons in 2002 and 2003, the influences of vegetation cover on breeding processes of Black-tailed Gulls (Laurs crassirostris) were studied on Hongdo Island. We checked dutch sizes, calculated hatching success and survival rates on day 15 and a vegetation cover, There was significant positive relationship between vegetation cover and hatching success, and survival on day 15. In order to analyze the relationship, sample nests were categorized as 'exposed' and 'covered' nests, and the breeding processes at each nest were compared. Hatching success and survival on day 15 in covered nests were significantly higher than ones in exposed nests. However, in clutch size, there was no significant difference. The rate of the hatching and survival failure was different amongst the categorized nests. The primary cause of hatching failure in covered and exposed nests was 'disappeared', and the primary causes of survival failure on day 15 were 'disappeared' and 'killed by adults'. The failure in exposed nests was significantly larger than that of covered nests. In the breeding of Black-tailed Gulls on Hongdo Island, vegetation cover influenced the survival of eggs and chicks as the cover provided shelter against predators and extreme weather.