German Andreas Kim Records Traces of Migratory Shorebirds on Sinan Amhaedo Island

Publication of the 2010-2018 Report on Banding Records of Shorebirds

Red-necked Stint with a yellow ring attached, which flew from Australia to Amhaedo, Sinan (Photo by Sinan-gun)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ki-woon] Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Park Woo-ryang) announced on the 28th that it has published a report on the banding records of shorebirds in the Aphaedo tidal flat, the largest tidal wetland protection area in Korea and a habitat on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF).

This report was compiled by German ornithologist Andreas Kim, summarizing 1,917 banding records of 12 species of shorebirds observed in Aphaedo from 2010 to 2018.

Andreas Kim, aged 60 this year, majored in information engineering in Germany and worked for 25 years at a computer-related company. After migrating to Korea in 2004, he began conducting shorebird surveys mainly in Aphaedo, Sinan-gun.

To track the migration routes of shorebirds, colored bands are attached to their legs, with specific colors and combinations assigned to each country and region.

For example, northwestern Australia uses yellow, while Korea uses a combination of orange and white. Therefore, by observing these bands, it is possible to identify the region from which the birds originated.

Many banded shorebirds are observed in Aphaedo, the gateway to the Yellow Sea tidal flats. Andreas Kim’s report includes 1,913 banding records of 12 species, including the Great Knot, banded in 19 locations across 8 countries such as Australia over nine years from 2010 to 2018.

In particular, the Great Knot was recorded 1,427 times, accounting for 75% of the observations, and one individual was observed in Aphaedo for up to eight years.

Sinan-gun has designated Aphaedo tidal flats as a wetland conservation area and a tidal flat provincial park to preserve the habitat, and this year it is highly likely to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

This report will be used for shorebird education, and various activities are planned to create a stable habitat for birds, including installing coastal fences, creating resting spaces, and establishing a shorebird school.