Breeding Ground of Chinese Egrets and Black-tailed Gulls on Sindo Island, Ongjin

The Chinese Egret is a rare summer migratory bird that breeds mainly in the temperate zones of East Asia, including the Ussuri region, Manchuria, eastern China and Korea; most of the world's Chinese Egrets breed in Korea. Both sexes are white all over, with a protruding patch of green skin in front of the eye and a yellow bill and toes. It is distinguished by the ornamental plumes on the back of its head, and feeds mainly on fish and crustaceans. The Black-tailed Gull is a common resident bird that breeds in Korea, Japan, the southern Primorsky region and the coast of China, and inhabits every coast and island of Korea. In both sexes the bill and legs are yellow, with a red and black band near the tip of the bill. The back and wings are dark grey with black tips, otherwise white, and there is a black line at the tip of the tail. It feeds mainly on fish, amphibians, insects, and food or fish scraps. The breeding ground of the Chinese Egret and Black-tailed Gull on Sindo Island is a small rocky island about 20.5 km off the western coast from Jangbong-ri, Ongjin-gun, Incheon. Chinese Egrets breed intensively on the sloping north- and south-facing sides of the island, over a range of about 200 m up to the summit. Their nests are loosely woven mainly from dried mugwort, and they usually lay three eggs, occasionally five. Black-tailed Gulls breed mostly on the sloping ground or cliff rocks of the island, with some flocks breeding around the summit together with the Chinese Egrets. Their nests are built on reefs or in places where trees or grass grow only sparsely. The breeding ground on Sindo Island is a site where the endangered and rare summer migrant Chinese Egret breeds, and it is also one of Korea's largest breeding grounds for the Black-tailed Gull; for this reason it is designated and protected as a natural monument. Sindo Island in Ongjin is currently designated a restricted-access area to protect the breeding grounds of the Chinese Egret and other birds, and access for management or academic purposes requires the permission of the Administrator of the Korea Heritage Service.

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Where it is

Region

Ongjin, Incheon

Designation

Natural Monument · 천연기념물