Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea
Importance, threats and conservation status
Mark Barter
Wetlands International, 2002
ISBN 90 5882 009 2
5. Internationally important shorebird sites in the Yellow Sea
5.3 Site Accounts (continued)
5.3.9 Shuangtaizihekou National Nature Reserve
Site information
Location: Liaoning Province, China. 40º 58' N, 121º 45' E
Area: Reserve: 80 000 ha; Intertidal flats: c. 20 000 ha
Wetland type: Intertidal flats, reed beds, shrimp ponds and rice fields.
Protected Area status: National Nature Reserve. East Asian-Australasian Shorebird Network Site.
Threats: Reclamation for oil extraction and associated human disturbance and pollution; disturbance from shellfishing activities (Barter et al. 2000d).
Count information
Comprehensive counts were conducted in mid-May 1998 and late April 1999 (Barter et al. 2000d) with good coverage of intertidal flats, but only limited coverage of saltpans, fish and shrimp ponds, and reed beds. A number of incomplete counts were made in the August-September 1999 period (Y.X. Li in litt.).
|
Northward migration
|
Count
|
Ref
|
|---|---|---|
| Great Knot | 24 915 | 1 |
| Dunlin | 16 411 | 1 |
| Grey Plover | 4 248 | 1 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 3 738 | 1 |
| Eastern Curlew | 1 803 | 1 |
| Eurasian Curlew | 1 535 | 1 |
| Kentish Plover | 1 367 | 1 |
| Whimbrel | 1 306 | 1 |
| Lesser Sand Plover | 682 | 1 |
| Black-winged Stilt | 200 | 2 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 100 | 2 |
|
Southward migration
|
||
| Dunlin | 7 600 | 3 |
| Red Knot | 4 200 | 3 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 2 070 | 3 |
| Eastern Curlew | 1 817 | 3 |
| Terek Sandpiper | 1 200 | 3 |
| Eurasian Curlew | 700 | 2 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 500 | 3 |
Significance of site
Highest counts: NM 63 641; SM 25 780.
Supports:
- 14 species in internationally important numbers (NM 11; SM 7; B 4);
- >5% of the estimated flyway population of Great Knot during NM;
- 5% of the estimated flyway population of Eurasian Oystercatcher during SM;
- internationally important breeding populations of Common Redshank, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt and Kentish Plover; breeding populations of Pied Avocet, Grey-headed Lapwing, and Oriental Pratincole;
- the highest recorded internationally important numbers of Eastern Curlew in the Yellow Sea during SM.
This site probably supports >100 000 shorebirds during both NM and SM. Additional counts during NM and SM would almost certainly allow additional internationally significant species to be identified and also improved estimates to be made of shorebird numbers during the migration periods.
Species count references
- Barter et al. 2000d
- Brazil 1992
- Y.X. Li in litt.
5.3.10 Yalu Jiang National Nature Reserve
Site information
Location: Liaoning Province, China. 40º 00' N, 124º 00' E
Area: Reserve: 108 057 ha; Intertidal flats: c. 30 000 ha.
Wetland type: Intertidal flats, shrimp ponds and reed beds.
Protected Area status: National Nature Reserve. East Asian-Australasian Shorebird Network Site.
Threats: Disturbance at roost sites and by fishermen on feeding grounds (Barter et al. 2000c).
Count information
Comprehensive counts were conducted in early May 1999 and mid-May 2000 (Barter et al. 2000c) with good coverage of intertidal flats, but only limited coverage of fish and shrimp ponds, and reed beds.
|
Northward migration
|
Count
|
Ref
|
|---|---|---|
| Great Knot | 54 178 | 1 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit | 51 918 | 1 |
| Dunlin | 25 181 | 1 |
| Grey Plover | 7 232 | 1 |
|
Eastern Curlew |
3 744 | 1 |
| Common Greenshank | 1 000 | 1 |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper | 729 | 1 |
| Lesser Sand Plover | 647 | 1 |
| Eurasian Curlew | 563 | 1 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 189 | 1 |
Significance of site
Highest count: NM 151 708.
Supports:
- 10 species in internationally important numbers during NM;
- >10% of the estimated flyway populations of Great Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit during NM;
- >5% of the estimated flyway populations of Grey Plover and Eastern Curlew during NM;
- the endangered Spotted Greenshank during NM (maximum count: 3);
- the vulnerable Spoon-billed Sandpiper during NM (maximum count: 1);
- the highest recorded internationally important numbers in the Yellow Sea during NM of Bar-tailed Godwit, Eastern Curlew, Common Greenshank, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Eurasian Oystercatcher.
This site probably supports >200 000 shorebirds during NM. Additional counts during NM and counts during SM would almost certainly allow additional internationally significant species to be identified and also enable improved estimates to be made of shorebird numbers during NM and estimates to be obtained for SM.
Species count reference
- Barter et al. 2000c
5.3.11 Mundok Migratory Bird Wetland Reserve
Site information
Location: South Pyongan Province, North Korea. 39º 24' N, 125º 06' E
Area: 6 000 ha, including 3 000 ha buffer zone.
Wetland type: Intertidal flats, salt marsh and reed beds.
Protected Area status: Migratory Bird Wetland Reserve.
Threats: Reclamation for agriculture, aquaculture and salt production; habitat degradation from agricultural and industrial pollution; human disturbance (UNDP 2000c).
Count information
No detailed count information is available. This site is at the mouth of the Chongchan River and is part of the very extensive intertidal flats in the area. The region can be expected to support large numbers of shorebirds during both NM and SM.
|
Northward migration
|
Count
|
Ref
|
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Curlew | 1 890 | 1 |
Significance of site
Supports:
- 1 species in internationally important numbers during NM;
- the endangered Spotted Greenshank (UNDP 2000c);
- the vulnerable Spoon-billed Sandpiper (UNDP 2000c);
Species count reference
- UNDP 2000c.
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