Birds Korea

Birds Korea
Name	Birds Korea
Type	Non-profit conservation organization
Founded	2006
Location	Republic of Korea
Focus	Avian conservation, wetland protection, research, education

Birds Korea Birds Korea is a South Korea–based non-profit organization focused on the study and conservation of avifauna, wetlands, and migratory bird flyways, operating across the Republic of Korea and engaging with partners in Democratic People's Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, Japan, and international bodies such as the Ramsar Convention and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership. The group collaborates with government agencies like the Ministry of Environment (South Korea), research institutions including Seoul National University and Kunsan National University, and conservation NGOs such as BirdLife International, Wetlands International, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Birds Korea participates in flyway-scale initiatives involving sites such as the Yellow Sea, Saemangeum, Gyeonggi Bay, and the Han River Estuary, linking work on species including the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Far Eastern Curlew, Grey-tailed Tattler, Nordmann's Greenshank, and the Relict Gull.

Overview

Birds Korea operates as an independent civil society organization engaging in field surveys, habitat advocacy, scientific publishing, and policy dialogue, working with stakeholders like the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (South Korea), Korean National Park Service, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and regional universities to promote conservation of coastal wetlands and migratory shorebirds. Its activities span monitoring at key sites such as Saemangeum reclamation area, Cheonsu Bay, Gochang, and the Muan wetlands, contributing data used by multilateral mechanisms including the Ramsar Convention and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership. The organization liaises with birdwatching communities tied to groups like the Korean BirdLife Partnership, international researchers from institutions such as the Australian National University and Bangor University, and conservation funders exemplified by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.

History and Organization

Birds Korea was established in the mid-2000s by ornithologists and conservationists associated with universities like Yonsei University and Chungbuk National University, and with ties to experienced fieldworkers from BirdLife International partners and regional NGOs. Early campaigns focused on responses to land reclamation projects at Saemangeum, advocacy involving legal frameworks such as South Korean environmental impact assessment procedures, and collaboration with multilateral actors including the Ramsar Convention Secretariat and researchers from University of Tokyo and Peking University. The organization's governance has included volunteer coordinators, scientific advisors affiliated with Manchester Metropolitan University and Griffith University, and partnerships with local birding groups such as the Korean Society of Ornithology.

Conservation Programs and Research

Birds Korea conducts targeted programs addressing wetland protection, species monitoring, and threat mitigation at sites across Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Incheon, and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. Research collaborations have produced surveys on intertidal benthos and shorebird staging ecology involving institutions like Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology and Hokkaido University, informing policy instruments used by the Ministry of Environment (South Korea) and international listings such as the IUCN Red List. Conservation actions include campaigning against harmful reclamation projects at Saemangeum and Incheon tidal flats, site-based management planning for Important Bird Areas in partnership with BirdLife International, and restoration pilot projects linked to academic teams from Sejong University.

Important Bird Areas and Key Species

Birds Korea prioritizes coastal and estuarine sites identified as Important Bird Areas in collaboration with BirdLife International and the National Institute of Biological Resources (South Korea), including Saemangeum, the Geum Estuary, the Seosan tidal flats, and Mokpo. Key focal species for monitoring and advocacy include the critically threatened Spoon-billed Sandpiper, the globally significant Far Eastern Curlew, the endangered Nordmann's Greenshank, the vulnerable Black-faced Spoonbill, and the rare Relict Gull, as well as migratory concentrations of Bar-tailed Godwit and Great Knot. Surveys and ringing programs coordinate with regional species specialists from BirdLife Asia, Wetlands International Asia-Pacific, and universities such as Ewha Womans University to document population trends and inform protective measures under conventions like Ramsar Convention.

Public Outreach and Education

Birds Korea engages birdwatchers, students, and policymakers through public lectures, guided surveys, and collaboration with educational institutions including Korea National University of Education and museums such as the National Museum of Korea. Outreach activities include citizen science schemes linked to networks like eBird, workshops conducted with partners such as Korean Federation for Environmental Movements and Conservation International, and media engagement involving national outlets and international platforms to raise awareness about threats to the Yellow Sea flyway and species like the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Black-faced Spoonbill.

Publications and Data Resources

Birds Korea publishes survey reports, site accounts, and species reports drawing on field data produced with collaborators from Seoul National University, Kunsan National University, Hokkaido University, and Australian National University, contributing records to databases used by IUCN assessors and flyway partners. Outputs include detailed accounts of Important Bird Areas, monitoring summaries for sites such as Saemangeum and Gochang, and peer-reviewed collaborations with journals and publishers associated with Ornithological Society of Korea and international outlets used by researchers from University of Oxford and National University of Singapore.

Category:Ornithological organizations Category:Conservation in South Korea