- Birds Korea
Infobox Korean name
imgwidth=150
hangul=새와 생명의 터Birds Korea is the organisation dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats in
South Korea and the widerYellow Sea Eco-region. Founded in2004 and based in the port city ofBusan , Birds Korea has regularly-updated websites in both English and Korean. Birds Korea works on a wide-range of conservation projects, including research, advocacy, and education programs. As such, the organisation has received wide domestic and international coverage of their work in both online and mainstream media, on issues ranging from Korean outbreaks ofH5N1 avian influenza (2005-2006), to the impacts of theTaean oil spill (2007), to pilot restoration work at theMokpo Namhang urban wetland (2007-2008), and to concerns over avian biodiversity threatened by the proposed Korean Grand Canal Project (2008). Most notably, in 2006 Birds Korea developed theSaemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program (SSMP) in partnership with theAustralasian Wader Studies Group , monitoring the impacts of the world's largest known coastal reclamation (the 40,100 ha Saemangeum) on populations of migratory shorebirds. Prior to seawall closure in April 2006,Saemangeum was considered to be the single most important shorebird site in theYellow Sea (Barter, 2002). The SSMP documented (following seawall closure) very major declines of several species of shorebirds within theSaemangeum reclamation area and adjacent wetlands (Moores et al., 2006; Rogers et al., 2006; Moores et al., 2007), and through further coordinated survey effort (e.g. the 2008 Birds Korea National Shorebird Survey), declines of species such asSpoon-billed Sandpiper "Eurynorhynchus pygmeus" (Critically Endangered) andGreat Knot "Calidris tenuirostris" at the national level too. SSMP and other shorebird data gathered in 2008 is to be published in time for the Tenth Conference of the Parties of theRamsar Convention (to be held in Changwon City,South Korea , between October 28th and November 4th, 2008), to inform and influence the increasingly urgent debate on the need to better conserve the intertidal habitats and biodiversity of theYellow Sea .References
* Barter, M. A. 2002. Shorebirds of the
Yellow Sea : Importance, threats and conservation status.Wetlands International Global Series 9, International Wader Studies Group 12,Canberra ,Australia .
* Moores N., Battley P., Rogers D., Park M-N., Sung H-C, van de Kam J. & K. Gosbell. 2006. Birds Korea-AWSG Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program Report, 2006. Birds Korea publication,Busan .
* Rogers, D.I., Moores, N. & P.F. Battley. 2006. Northwards Migration of Shorebirds through Saemangeum, the Geum Estuary and Gomso Bay,South Korea in 2006. Stilt (50): 73-89.
* Moores N., Rogers D., Koh C-H, Ju Y-K, Kim R-H. & Park M-N. 2007. The 2007 Saemangeum Shorebird Monitoring Program Report. Birds Korea publication,Busan .External links
* [http://www.birdskorea.org Birds Korea website in English]
* [http://www.birdskorea.or.kr Birds Korea website in Korean]
* [http://www.awsg.org.au Australasian Wader Studies Group (AWSG)]
* [http://www.wetlands.org/ Wetlands International official site]
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