• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.35-37
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• 2003

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

In diurnal activity of the black-crowned night herons on breeding season, activity budget was that male were standing(29.5%), preening(21.5%), comfort(10.9%), and female were resting(26.3%), repairing (18.4%), preening(15.3%) in sequence. Activity budget was high significant between male and female(p<0.01). In case of activity-time budget sequence, male was standing(38.7%), locomotion(33.8%), preening(11.5%), and female was resting(55.4%), standing(18.4%), preening(9.4%). Therefore, activity-time budget was significantly different in male and female(p<0.01).

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.330-335
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• 2019

Apharyngostrigea ibis (Trematoda: Strigeidae) were obtained from the small intestine of two black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) and three grey herons (Ardea cinerea jouyi) between July 2006 and September 2018 in Daejeon metropolitan city and Kangwon province, Republic of Korea. The body is covered with a relatively thick cuticle, devoid of spines, and bipartite. The body measures at 2.3-3.33 × 0.86-1.20 mm, and the fore-body is ventrally concave. The oral sucker leads into a short esophagus that is devoid of a muscular pharynx. The worm was studied with a scanning electron microscope for the first time resulting in the detection of a pair of lappets located at the bilateral portion of the oral sucker. This is the first record of A. ibis in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.242-248
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• 2020

An intestinal strigeiid trematode, Apharyngostrigea pipientis, was detected from Ardea cinerea jouyi, Egretta intermedia and Nycticorax nycticorax between July, 2006 and June, 2020 in Daejeon metropolitan city and Kangwon-do, Republic of Korea. It was observed with a light and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and molecularly analyzed with 18S rRNA genes. The infection rate of the strigeiid trematode was 25.9% (7/27). The body is cylindrical in whole mount, greatly elongated in outline and shows a strong dorsal curvature. The overall measurements are: length 4.1-4.8 mm; fore-body 1.00-1.20 mm by 0.8-0.9 mm; hind-body 3.2-3.6 mm by 0.43-0.46 mm. The body is covered by a relatively thick cuticle, devoid of spines. The oral sucker leads into a short esophagus that is devoid of a muscular pharynx. The holdfast organ is enormously developed. The vitelline follicles distributed dorsal wall of fore-body and hind-body. This strigeiid trematode especially differs from other species of genus Apharyngostrigea in morphology. Although these A. pipientis are several morphological distinctions from Apharyngostrigea cornu, the partial sequence of 18S rRNA showed the sequence homology of A. pipientis (99.9%) and A. cornu (99.8%), and this result revealed their conspecific relationship between A. cornu and A. pipientis. This is the first report of A. pipientis in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2013

A wild black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) with dehydration and a non-weight bearing lameness of the left leg was rescued. On physical examination, the left knee was displaced laterally at almost a $90^{\circ}$ angle with firm swelling and crepitus in the area of the coxofemoral joint. Radiographs confirmed cranio-dorsal coxofemoral luxation. A closed reduction attempt failed. The coxofemoral joint luxation was reduced surgically by placement of the femoral neck next to the pelvis with a suture. Ten days after surgery, radiographs and computed tomography showed the femoral neck and head were positioned well within the acetabulum. At 20 days, the bird was using the affected limb normally, and could hunt and forage for food in a rehabilitation housing unit with a small pond. The bird was successfully released into the wild. The placement of the femoral neck adjacent to the pelvis with a suture can be successfully performed for cases of avian coxofemoral joint luxation. Furthermore, this procedure can provide sufficient stabilization of the coxofemoral joint and acceptable limb function.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.237-244
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• 2007

We investigated the foraging habitat preferences of herons and egrets in an agricultural area in Asan city, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. In the study area, rice fields were the most abundant habitat type (86.8%) and total suitable feeding habitat was greater in the northern area (59.0%) than the southern area (22.5%) of the colony. Most feeding herons and egrets were located in the northern area of the colony. The number of feeding individuals in a given area was related to the available feeding area (Pearson correlation, r=0.773, p<0.001 for field habitats; r=0.901, p<0.001 for freshwater habitats). Feeding habitat preferences differed among species. Grey herons (Ardea cinerea), great egrets (Egretta alba), and black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) used reservoirs and ditches. However, intermediate egrets (E. intermedia) and cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) were dependent on rice fields. The little egret (E. garzetta) was a habitat generalist using all types of habitats. The two largest species, grey herons and great egrets, fed at deeper site than little egrets and foraged in deeper sites in reservoirs than in ditches (${\chi}^2-test,\;{\chi}^2{_3}=26.6$ and p<0.001 for grey herons, ${\chi}^2{_3}=17.5$ and p<0.001 for great egrets). All species displayed seasonal changes in feeding habitat use and these changes were related with changes in availability of feeding habitats.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.147-162
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• 2014

This study aims to provide the biological and geographical materials to identify the changes in population of Family Ardeidae included Egretta alba modesta, Egretta garzetta, Bubulcus ibis, and Nycticorax nycticorax and establish their conservation measurement in terms of the fragmented and deteriorated habitat by human development such as housing and park projects. Wonjucheon Stream was measured the highest species diversity since the survey site was relatively less interfered by the surrounding human beings showing lower disturbance elements. However, the closer the stream comes downstream, the more the artificial disturbance elements generate, confirming that the species better adapted to contamination grow in more density so that the species composition becomes simplified. It implies that feeding place as well as breeding-growing places is also more closely related to the changes in population structure and species composition of Family Ardeidae. The results of Family Ardeidae immigration in Taejang-dong, Wonju, among the other survey sites, revealed that a total of 231 came to the site in 2006; and 210 in 2011, showing more or less reduction in the population. In the mean while, Namyang-dong in Hwaseong City showed the continuous decrease in population number of Family Ardeidae with 135 before development and 60 during development, resulting in the number never growing but continuously narrowing over and over after development. As a result of surveying the number of Family Ardeidae that bred following the findings above, Taejang-dong in Wonju City had 4 species of Family Ardeidae being bred, however, showing the decrease in number of population from 998 in 2006 to 589 in 2011. Namyang-dong in Hwaseong was confirmed to have as many as 352 of the population in 2006 and 230 in 2008; after the deforestation on their habitat, they had not lived in the site any longer, suggesting that the development would significantly affect Family Ardeidae.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.361-364
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• 2016

Waterbirds using rice fields has increased due to a decline of natural wetlands. The rice field is an essential habitat to supports the waterbird population. Although use of rice field by waterbirds has been widely documented, little information is available on distribution patterns of waterbirds under the pesticide use in rice fields. The current study conducted to understand the relationship between habitat use by waterbirds and pesticide applicatioins in rice fields. We monitored the distribution of waterbirds at Daeho reclaimed area in July 2013 to June 2014 and September 2014 to August 2015. As a results, three heron species (Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus and Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia) are more sensitive to pesticides use than other waterbird species in rice fields. Future studies are necessary to explore the relationship between bird's distribution and management practices including pesticide use at different spatiotemporal scales.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2017

This study aims to provide the basic habitat data for the alternative breeding sites of Family Ardeidae including Ardea cinerea, Egretta alba modesta, Egretta intermedia, Egretta garzetta, Bubulcus ibis and Nycticorax nyciticorax. Species numbers, flight directions for detecting foraging grounds and current vegetation structure were investigated nesting at Gunsan urban forest area. Data were collected over a period of 10 weeks, from 15 June - 31 August 2014. The total nest and population of Family Ardeida were 684 and 1,712 respectively. Percentage of birds observed flying in 8 major compass directions were as follows. 57.27% of all birds were observed flying northwest, 22.09% were observed flying south and 13.40% were flying north. For possible foraging areas, to the northwest, there are Geumgang river tidal flats, and to the south, paddy fields and streams within 2km. Flying directions by species (${\chi}^2=287.18$, P<.001, Cramer's V=0.12) and by seasons(${\chi}^2=839.94$, P<.001, Cramer's V=0.19) showed significant difference statistically. In relation between species and directions, 60.31% and 24.05% of Bubulcus ibis and 59.40% and 23.00% of Ardea cinerea were observed flying northwest and south respectively. Vegetation in the sites consist of an overstory of 3 to 7 species. At site 1, Pinus thunbergii was the dominant species and site 2, Chamaecyparis obtusa. Understory vegetation is composed of shrubs, saplings and small trees of Chamaecyparis obtusa, Quercus acutissima, Smilax china and Platycarya strobilacea. Egrets and herons usually nested at the dense population and canopy overlayed forest, and especially branches and leaves of smallwood with less than 10cm of breast height diameter were relatively severely damaged due to the nesting and excreta.