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Checklist

Checklist forms the core of the science-based tool for informing conservation strategies and development plans. Updating the Birds Korea Checklist regularly enables us to understand population trends and priorities for Important Bird Areas.

Checklist 2025

Updated August 2025

The current edition of Birds Korea Checklist exhibits the following key findings:

  • one

  • two 

  • three

eBird Mapping Test

eBird Abundance Data

#
Cat.
English Name
Scientific Name
Korean Name
GCS
NCS
Breeding Status (O=No evidence); 1= Breeding record since 2000; 2=Breeding record pre-2000; 3=Suspected breeding since 2000
Abundance Code
Source
Population Trend
Notes to help with assessment
Profile Page (click image)
푸른바다직박구리
AviList 2025 states that susbp. Kanoi "breeds southern Japan, eastern China, Taiwan, and northern Philippines (Batan Islands); winters in southeastern Asia"
1
Black Bulbul
Hypsipetes leucocephalus
흰머리직박구리
LC
NA
0
V2
Five records as of start of 2025
1
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
흰죽지제비갈매기
LC
NA
0
4
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
북미갈매기
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Verditer Flycatcher
Eumyias thalassinus
파랑딱새
LC
NA
0
1
Eurasian Wryneck
Jynx torquilla
개미잡이
LC
NA
0
시베리아갈매기
1
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
검은제비갈매기
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Forest Wagtail
Dendronanthus indicus
물레새
LC
NA
1
1
Besra
Tachyspiza virgata
작은새매
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Plaintive Cuckoo
Cacomantis merulinus
우는뻐꾸기
LC
NA
0
V2
한국솔부엉이
AviList (2025) distribution: "breeds southeastern Siberia, northeastern China (southeastern Heilongjiang to Hebei), and northern Korea; winters in Greater and Lesser Sundas". Korean name for this subspecies in Park et al (2025) seems inappropriate
북방동고비
V2
Listed by Park et al. (2025) on the basis of two records.
DD
Park et al. (2025) only recognise ussuriensis. However, some birds in spring seem to match terrignotae better. Maintain in loist but reflect uncertainty by use of DD.
1
Ural Owl
Strix uralensis
긴점박이올빼미
LC
II
1
진홍가슴
If I remember correctly there was a bird photographed by Choi Soon Kyu (?) in about 2003 or 2004 that had a large white head. Leucism possibly - possibly not based on odd look of birds from within range of lutea
LC
0
1
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
수리갈매기
LC
NA
0
1
Ryukyu Scops Owl
Otus elegans
류큐소쩍새
NT
Record in 2007 published in 2024 by Kim W-Y., Kang C W., Chang B. G. & Kim E. M. in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 2024, vol.17, no.4, pp. 796-799 (4 pages) . Reported on Udo (Island off east end of Jeju) in January 4th 2007. 2007,https://www.kci.go.kr/kciportal/ci/sereArticleSearch/ciSereArtiView.kci?sereArticleSearchBean.artiId=ART003145674. Nomimate is only likely subspecies to occur naturally (stated in Birds of the world that, "northern populations suggested to be partly migratory"; other subspecies have much more resticted and distant distirbution and are thought to be non-migratory. [[check notes Odd owl vocalisations heard on Gageo in both May (noted as "Poc ..poc") and 1-2 times in November (call notes) at the turn of the century shouldperhaps be considered in discussions on the possible distribution of this and other small owls in Korea.]]
1
Black-throated Thrush
Turdus atrogularis
검은목지빠귀
LC
NA
0
1
Two-barred Warbler
Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus
버들솔새
LC
NA
1
REJ
American Black Duck
Anas rubripes
미국오리
LC
NA
Rejected. Full account provided in Moores (2012): According to the account of this record (which was published as a short note eight years after the event), two USA servicemen found a dead duck inland in Gwangju in a rice-field, near to their airbase in mid-June 1977. They noticed that the bird had a USA Fish and Wildlife Service band on it, so they sent in the band (but not the bird). The Fish and Wildlife Service then identified the band as one put on an American Black Duck seven years earlier in Virginia (Banks 1985). In the absence of any accepted records committee, this was accepted by Won as the first national record for the ROK (and Asia), though he apparently believed that the bird was recorded in Gunsan not Gwangju (Won 2003 fide Park 2002). While not impossible, this record still seems highly implausible for a number of reasons, including: 1. The extremely fortuitous circumstances of the discovery of the band (and the absence of images or other evidence of the bird in situ); 2. The peculiar mid-summer date, as most duck species (including the closely- related Mallard Anas platyrhynchos) have largely departed the ROK as early as April and the American Black Duck in its natural range tends to be one of the earlier migrating ducks in spring (Chaulk & Turner 2007), breeding typically far to the north in the boreal forest zone (Jarrett 2005); 3. The improbability of its vagrancy to the Korean Peninsula. The species largely breeds east of Longitude 85° W (Jarrett 2005), is considered a rare vagrant even in Alaska (Banks 1985), and there are no properly documented records of the species anywhere else in Asia, including in Japan where several North American duck species are well-documented (Brazil 2009).
노랑턱멧새
1
Booted Warbler
Iduna caligata
쇠덤불개개비
LC
NA
0
V2
히말라야알락할미새
제비갈매기
노랑때까치
1
Pacific Loon
Gavia pacifica
회색머리아비
LC
NA
0
1
Arctic Warbler
Phylloscopus borealis
쇠솔새
LC
NA
0
대백로
AviList 2025 does not recognise existence of alba in Eastern Asia, instead limiting range to, "central Europe to central Asia (southward to Iran)". However, both taxa listed by Park et al. (2025)
1
Black-capped Kingfisher
Halcyon pileata
청호반새
VU
II
1
S5
archives
DEC
Clearly still declining rapidly. Kim et al. (2021) found 95% decline - and species is in obvious freefall (used to be fairly common in rural areas throughout west and central Korea in 1990s)
1
Lapland Longspur
Calcarius lapponicus
긴발톱멧새
LC
NA
0
W3, P4
1
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
긴꼬리제비갈매기
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
참새
LC
NA
1
1
Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
Surniculus lugubris
검은두견이
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Slender-billed Gull
Chroicocephalus genei
긴목갈매기
LC
NA
0
V2
1
Cotton Pygmy Goose
Nettapus coromandelianus
쇠솜털오리
LC
NA
0
V2
Archives
IRR
꼬마캐나다기러기
V2
1
Northern Nutcracker
Nucifraga caryocatactes
잣까마귀
LC
NA
0
붉은양진이
큰소쩍새
1
Light-vented Bulbul
Pycnonotus sinensis
검은이마직박구리
LC
NA
1
2
Dalmatian Pelican
Pelecanus crispus
사다새
NT
NA
0
V2
1
White-throated Rock Thrush
Monticola gularis
꼬까직박구리
LC
NA
0
제주오목눈이
1
Yellow-throated Bunting
Emberiza elegans
노랑턱멧새
LC
NA
1
Kim et al. (2021) found 13% recent decrease
제주큰오색딱다구리
Park et al. (2025) maintain quelpartensis contra dinfings of Professor Oh who claimed back in early 20so's that quelpartnesis was not justified
1
Styan's Grasshopper Warbler
Helopsaltes pleskei
섬개개비
VU
II
1
1
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
굴뚝새
LC
NA
1
박새
털발말똥가리
1
Green-backed Flycatcher
Ficedula elisae
북방황금새
LC
NA
0
1
Laysan Albatross
Phoebastria immutabilis
검은등알바트로스
NT
NA
0
V2
제주진박새
Korean name from Park et al (2025)
1
Siberian Blue Robin
Larvivora cyane
쇠유리새
LC
NA
1
Park et al. (2025) question which subspecies occur in Korea: "아종 bochaiensis와 cyane의 분포권에 대한 상반된 견해가 존재하며, 아직 논쟁의 여지가 있지만 국내에는 두 아종 모두 도래하는 것으로 판단된다(국립공원 조류연구센터)." AviList (2025) gives distribution as: (1) bochaiensis: "breeds south-central Siberia and northern Mongolia; winters to southeastern Asia" (thus seems unlikely to occur in Korea) (2) cyane "breeds south-central Siberia (and perhaps adjacent northeastern Kazakhastan) and northern Mongolia; the species winters in southern China, Indochina, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, but nonbreeding distributions of the subspecies are not well-differentiated" (so might occur, but perhaps uncommonly): and (3) nechaevi, "breeds Sakhalin, southern Kuril Islands, and Japan; winters probably to southeastern Asia" (so will occur, at least on migration. If two subspp occur then these are most likely nominate and nechaevi.
1
Von Schrenck's Bittern
Botaurus eurhythmus
큰덤불해오라기
LC
II
1
1
Rosy Pipit
Anthus roseatus
한국밭종다리
LC
NA
0
V2
북방멧새
1
Oriental Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis
파랑새
LC
NA
1
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