• Proceedings of the Zoological Society Korea Conference
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• 2003.08a
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• pp.132.1-132
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• 2003

No Abstract, See Full Text

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.324-332
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• 2016

Two feather mites, Zachvatkinia larica Mironov, 1989 and Ardeacarus ardeae (Canestrini, 1878) are reported for the first time in Korea. Specimens of Z. larica and A. ardeae were collected from the blacktailed gull Larus crassirostris and little egret Egretta garzetta, respectively. The genera Zachvatkinia Dubinin, 1949 and Ardeacarus Dubinin, 1951 are new to this country. Here, we provided morphological descriptions and illustrations of these two species. Additionally, we provide the partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) as DNA barcode markers.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1271-1277
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• 2018

The National Environmental Specimen Bank (NESB) has been sampling and cryogenically preserving various wildlife specimens to monitor bio-accumulations of chemical pollutants since 2010. Recently, the NESB set up a plan to develop reference materials at their facility to assure the analytical quality of and validate the analytical methods for their monitoring samples. One of the crucial characteristics of reference materials is intra- and inter-bottle homogeneity. In this study, we used ANOVA for total mercury concentrations in some samples to validate their homogeneities after milling and homogenization. We examined the intra- and inter-bottle homogeneities of two cryogenically-milled samples (Korean mussel (Mytilus coruscus) and black-tailed gull's egg (Larus crassirostris). The variations in the total mercury concentrations were not significantly different intra- and inter-bottle (mussel: F=0.74, p=0.67; gull egg: F=1.96, p=0.10). Additionally, the relative standard deviations of the total mercury concentrations showed low values (mussel: 2.02%, gull egg: 1.78%). Therefore, the cryogenic-milling process statistically proves the homogeneity of the materials of mussels and sea gull eggs for chemical analysis for total mercury.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.165-171
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• 2022

The Chinese crested tern (Thalasseus bersteini) is one of the most globally endangered species, listed as "Critically Endangered (CE)" on the IUCN Red List, with only approximately 30-49 individuals surviving in the wild. Chinese crested terns were discovered to breed in South Korea for the first time in 2016 while conducting a census on uninhabited islands. The Ministry of Environment has declared the breeding habitat of the Chinese crested terns as "Specified Island" to protect this CE species. However, brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) inhabiting the breeding grounds of the Chinese crested terns and Black-tailed gulls may potentially pose a threat to the breeding of these avian species. Therefore, we conducted a study on the feeding behavior of brown rats involving stable isotope analysis to determine their food sources. Fecal analysis showed that brown rats mainly fed on plants, whereas they scarcely fed on animals, such as insects. In addition, the stable isotope analysis showed that the δ¹³C values of brown rats, insects, and Indian goosegrasses were approximately -16 to -11‰, whereas the δ¹³C value of Chinese crested terns that obtained their food from the marine ecosystem was approximately -22 to -18‰. Hence, we conclude that the source of carbon for brown rats on this island is the terrestrial ecosystem. We ruled out the possibility of any direct prey-predator interaction between the brown rat and the Chinese crested tern or Black-tailed gull.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.538-552
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• 2017

In this study, total mercury (THg) of Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs laid on Baengnyeongdo, West Sea of Korea was analyzed in order to compare the THg concentrations of eggs depending on egg-laying order. The first-laid eggs ($mean{\pm}standard$ error, $234.4{\pm}11.2ng/g\;wet$, n=18, t=8.4, p<0.01) significantly had higher THg concentrations than the second-laid eggs ($182.8{\pm}9.1ng/g\;wet$, n=18). Also, the first-laid eggs had higher values in biometrics (length $63.10{\pm}0.49mm$, t=2.4, p<0.05; width $44.51{\pm}0.19mm$, t=4.3, p<0.01; weight $65.53{\pm}0.87g$, t=4.2, p<0.01) than the second-laid eggs (length $62.37{\pm}0.40mm$, width $43.55{\pm}0.17mm$, and weight $62.48{\pm}0.72g$). These differences might be attributed to the amount of food eaten by females relating to males' courtship feeding pattern (males increase courtship feeding rate before the first eggs are laid, and decrease the rate following the laying of the first eggs). Moreover, the lower food intake of females could diminish the quantities of egg albumen that contains a protein binds to most of methylmercury during the period of egg production. Therefore, it is necessary to consistently apply one of egg selection methods (targeted selection (the first-laid egg or the second-laid egg), random selection, and etc.) in one nest for ensuring comparability of mercury concentrations among monitoring sites and monitoring years.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.27 no.6 s.122
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• pp.383-390
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• 2004

This study was conducted in three sites, Si-Hwa Lake, Dongman and Seoman island and Janguyeop island, from march, 1999 to september, 2002. The behaviors of pre-breeding season, territorial behaviors, reproductive ecology, foraging sites and behaviors, and the competition of reproduction and foods between intraspecific or interspecific of Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) were observed in each studying sites. The breeding of Eurasian Oystercatcher started on the middle of April in Si-Hwa Lake and on the middle of May in Dongman and Seoman island and Janguyeop island. For intension of pair bond on pre-breeding season, Eurasian Oystercatcher foraged with pair and behaved male-female chasing flight behavior. The pair foraged with male and female before copulation. If other pairs and individuals approached in feeding site of pair, this pair attacked them with piping calling and intruder chasing flight. If continuos serial behaviors were not observed, the discrimination of male-female chasing flight and intruder chasing flight was difficult. Territorial behaviors classified four types; butterfly flight, calling behavior, chasing behavior, fight behavior. The important foraging sites in Si-Hwa Lake are the land place in Daeboo island, tidal flat of Bangameori, tidal flat a front of a stationary net for catching fishes and tidal flat a front of a view station for bird watching. Eurasian Oystercatcher foraged at tidal flat on low water of the tide and foraged at feeding sites near island on flood tide in Dongman and Seoman island. Eurasian Oystercater in Janguyeop island usually foraged feeding sites near island, because water level was not different between low water of the tide and flood tide. Eurasian Oystercatcher competed on foods of intraspecific and interspecific. They chased for taking foods by force in feeding sites and drove out intruders in feeding sites. The foods interspecific competition happened with Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris). Eurasian Oystercatcher was robbed of foods and attacked by Black-tailed Gull. The individual of food competition with Black-tailed Gull was low foods intake rate comparison with other feeding sites and this individual flied out other feeding sites.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2012

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infects a variety of birds with a wide range of clinical signs from asymptomatic to severe. During a 10-month period in 2011, a total of 1,024 sera from wild birds including 42 species of birds in 8 orders were collected and the seroprevalence of NDV in wild birds was evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. Evidence of NDV infection was observed in 12.6% (129/1,024) of wild birds with a maximum prevalence reported in Mandarin duck (27.8%, 32/115) followed by Mallard duck (20.8%, 57/274), Spot-billed duck (11.9%, 36/303), Pintail (2.9%, 1/34), Black-tailed gull (2.9%, 1/34), White-fronted goose (1.8%, 1/56) and Common teal (1.4%, 1/69). None of the other 35 species of wild birds were antibody-positive for NDV. Mandarin duck, Mallard duck and Spot-billed duck showed high sero-prevalance of 12.2% to 42% during winter season (November to March). Our results indicate that Mandarin duck, Mallard duck and Spot-billed duck might be natural reservoirs for NDV in Korea and the prevalence of NDV infection in wild birds displayed a seasonal pattern with high prevalence of NDV in winter season (November to March).