• 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 Ecology and Environment
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.184-191
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• 2018

During the breeding season, some Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus osculans) in Yubu Island foraged in the open mudflat area nearby the breeding ground, instead of the tide water line area, main feeding site throughout the year. We found significant differences in foraging behavior and prey species diversity between the two different feeding site types. Even though the birds took more steps for most probably searching preys, their feeding success was much lower in the open mudflat area than the tide water line area. The multiple peck and boring methods were more frequently adopted to catch polychaetes on the open mudflat area, whereas the single peck method was dominant and gastropods and bivalves were main preys in the tide water line area. This study suggests that the bird shows flexible foraging strategy of shifting feeding site, foraging behavior and preys for better reproductive success.

• 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.