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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:
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# | 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Garganey | Spatula querquedula | 발구지 | LC | NA | 0 | P4 | STA? | After serious decline, appears to be recovering | |||
1 | Common Kingfisher | Alcedo atthis | 물총새 | LC | NA | 1 | ||||||
작은흰갈매기 | ||||||||||||
1 | Brambling | Fringilla montifringilla | 되새 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | 제비갈매기 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
5D | Green-backed Tit | Parus monticolus | 작은노랑배박새 | LC | NA | 0 | Included in Park et al. (2025) on the basis of one, April 16 2025, Shinjindo, Taean, photographed by Park Yeong Jin. Considered by PJG to be subspecies yunnanensis. Identification to species clear in image. Origin of bird suspect, as considered to be only an altitudinal migrant by Birds of the World (2025); and there are no records closer than Shanxi in eBird (though >93,000 logged there up to mid 2025). | |||||
붉은배제비 | ||||||||||||
1 | Red-backed Shrike | Lanius collurio | 붉은등때까치 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | |||||
R. Ex ? | ||||||||||||
1, 5B | Mute Swan | Cygnus olor | 혹고니 | LC | I | 0 | W5 | Archives, Census | INC | 5 Yr Geometirc mean of 14, with the highest Census count 40 in Feb 2023. Pattern of records suggest that some Mute Swan in southern provinces might originate from Japanese feral population; birds in NW and NE much more likely to originate from wild population (cf neck-banded birds in Kangwon, DPRK). | ||
1 | Vinous-throated Parrotbill | Suthora webbiana | 붉은머리오목눈이 | LC | NA | 1 | ||||||
1 | Lanceolated Warbler | Locustella lanceolata | 쥐발귀개개비 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Oriental Greenfinch | Chloris sinica | 방울새 | LC | NA | 1 | AviList (2025) reverts back to Oriental Greenfinch | |||||
1 | Ryukyu Flycatcher | Ficedula owstoni | 남방황금새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | |||||
큰종다리 | ||||||||||||
1 | White-capped Redstart | Phoenicurus leucocephalus | 흰머리바위딱새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | Hong do, Jeolla | ||||
1 | Gadwall | Mareca strepera | 알락오리 | LC | NA | 0 | W2, P3, SV2 | Census, archives | INC | Clear increasing trend shown by Winter census data, with an increase of 143% in 5 yr geometric means in January between 2009-2013 and 2019-2023 (4,841>11, 769), increasing from m54 to 121 sites during the same period. Previously considered to be largely a migrant; increase in frequency of counting effots shows peak is in November, with a 4-5,000 decline between November and January, and some evidence of southward movement. Incrase appears to be linked to more widespread wintering Esp. NW and SE. Considered stable (data poor and two decades old) in online WPE (2024). | ||
1RA | Hodgson's Hawk-Cuckoo | Hierococcyx nisicolor | 작은매사촌 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | Park et al. (2025): 2022년 9월 28일 제주도 마라도에서 1회 여름깃 1개체가 관찰되었다(박종길 등 2023). If I remember correctly, the only image I have seen was inconclusive (perhaps there are much better images availablle?) | ||||
1 | Redwing | Turdus iliacus | 붉은날개지빠귀 | NT | NA | 0 | V2 | 3-4 records? | ||||
긴꼬리홍양진이 | AviList (2025) explicitly includes Korea in distribution annotation | |||||||||||
힝둥새 | ||||||||||||
1 | Bulwer’s Petrel | Bulweria bulwerii | 검은슴새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | |||||
1 | Swinhoe's White-eye | Zosterops simplex | 작은동박새 | LC | NA | 3 | ||||||
1 | Brown Booby | Sula leucogaster | 갈색얼가니새 | LC | NA | 0 | V1 | |||||
1, 5Ai | Hill Pigeon | Columba rupestris | 낭비둘기 | LC | II | 1 | R5/4 | >100 birds currently present, but not yet 5 yrs of such data | ||||
1 | Black Bittern | Botaurus flavicollis | 검은해오라기 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Red-breasted Goose | Branta ruficollis | 붉은가슴기러기 | VU | NA | 0 | V2 | Archives, SM | IRR | Five or more records of individuals in goose flocks along the west during both migration periods since the first in 2012 (Park et al 2025). Unclear how many individuals are involved as returning individuals might be expected based on patterns of records elsewhere (ref). | ||
1 | Black Baza | Aviceda leuphotes | 검은뿔작은매 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | two records: Socheong. Subspecies syama and wolfei known to be long-range migrants (cf: LIMPARUNGPATTHANAKIJ et al. 2019. Forktail 35: 18-27. | ||||
1 | Brown-cheeked Rail | Rallus indicus | 흰눈썹뜸부기 | LC | NA | 0 | Name of Brown-cheeked widely accepted, and not inaccurate, but nonetheless misleading - as immature Western have brown ear coverts too. Need for a less ambiguous name. Alternative of Western and Eastern has fairly wide usage | |||||
검은머리쑥새 | ||||||||||||
1 | Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus | 검은바람까마귀 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Ferruginous Duck | Aythya nyroca | 적갈색흰죽지 | NT | NA | 0 | P/W 5, SV2 | INC | Now more than 10 records per year; and including migrants likely has been more than past 5 years (recent counts of 4 in a day at Hwaseong, 5 in day in southern Jeolla, 2-3 in a day in Seoul etc | |||
1 | White's Thrush | Zoothera aurea | 호랑지빠귀 | LC | NA | 1 | Considered to be increasing by Kim et al (2021), This is absolitely not my experience. No doubt they are decreasing strongly in all the areas I go to. | |||||
1 | Black-throated Loon | Gavia arctica | 큰회색머리아비 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | South Polar Skua | Stercorarius maccormicki | 남극도둑갈매기 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
흰멧새 | ||||||||||||
흰물떼새 | ||||||||||||
Change in susbp. Based on range given in distribution note of AviList 2025 and in accordance with Park et al. (2025) | ||||||||||||
짙은재갈매기 | ||||||||||||
1 | Hawfinch | Coccothraustes coccothraustes | 콩새 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | 고방오리 | LC | NA | 0 | W2,P4, SV2 | DEC | Strong declinein wintering population shown by Census data from before 2005 to lowpoint in 2012-2014; some recovery since. However, this species used to a very common passage migrant and no longer is. Pattern concurs with overview of major declines followed by some stabilisation in East Asia in Zhang et al. 2023 in Wildfowl | |||
1 | Chinese Nuthatch | Sitta villosa | 쇠동고비 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
3 | Slaty-blue Flycatcher | Ficedula tricolor | 진푸른딱새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | |||||
홍때까치 | ||||||||||||
1 | Common Gull | Larus canus | 갈매기 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
북방흰눈썹지빠귀 | ||||||||||||
1 | Saunders’s Gull | Saundersilarus saundersi | 검은머리갈매기 | VU | II | 1 | ||||||
1 | Narcissus Flycatcher | Ficedula narcissina | 황금새 | LC | NA | 1 | ||||||
1 | Japanese Grosbeak | Eophona personata | 큰부리밀화부리 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella | 노랑멧새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | Archive | IRR | Probably still fewer than 10 records | ||
캄차카털발말똥가리 | ||||||||||||
멋쟁이새 | ||||||||||||
1 | Japanese Sparrowhawk | Tachyspiza gularis | 조롱이 | LC | II | 1 | ||||||
1 | Godlewski's Bunting | Emberiza godlewskii | 바위멧새 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | Archive | IRR | One record still: Socheong, April 2009? | ||
1 | Oriental Turtle Dove | Streptopelia orientalis | 멧비둘기 | LC | NA | 1 | Recent declines found by Kim et al. (2021) | |||||
붉은꼬리말똥가리 | ||||||||||||
5Aiii | Rock Dove | Columba livia | 집비둘기 | LC | NA | 1 | ||||||
제주큰부리밀화부리 | ||||||||||||
1 | Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes | 노랑발도요 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Spotted Redshank | Tringa erythropus | 학도요 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Common Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | 뻐꾸기 | LC | NA | 1 | Described in Gore & Won (1971) as "Abundant" in the lowlands. Kim et. (2021) also found substantial recent decrease of >10%. | |||||
흰머리오목눈이 | ||||||||||||
Subsp. unknown, but to accord with Park et al. (2025) change to insignis only. | ||||||||||||
R1A | Common Buzzard | Buteo buteo | 대륙말똥가리 | LC | NA | 0 | V? | |||||
1 | Solitary Snipe | Gallinago solitaria | 청도요 | LC | NA | 0 | V1? | Any recent winter with more than 10 individuals? If not needs to be grey-listed | ||||
1 | Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos | 깝작도요 | LC | NA | 1 | ||||||
1 | Ring-necked Duck | Aythya collaris | 줄부리오리 | LC | NA | 0 | V2 | 3 records? | ||||
북방중종다리 | ||||||||||||
1 | Temminck's Stint | Calidris temminckii | 흰꼬리좀도요 | LC | NA | 0 | ||||||
1 | Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | 쇠부엉이 | LC | NT | 0 | ||||||
1 | Dunlin | Calidris alpina | 민물도요 | NT | NA | 0 | Although listed by Park et al (2025), there is no record known to us of pacifica. We know of very little research in the ROK on Dunlin subspecies and their genetics (if any?). One claim in the field of a post-breeding adult hudsonia from Sokcho in July 1999 (by NM) was based largely on extremely long bill and obvious streaking on the flanks and undertail coverts. Bird was filmed by EBS crew, but likely no images persist, and some literature in early 2000s denied diagnostic value of both field features. For example, images in Chandler (2009) show sakhalina (photographed in Korea) with flank streaking and fine streaking on the undertail coverts and the table on measurements shows overlap in bill length. Birds Korea checklists included hudsonia up to 2013; subsequently removing it for lack of evidence and because there were no records of this subspecies from e.g., Japan (still no record up to 2024 according to: https://kantorilode.weebly.com/annotated-checklist-of-the-birds-of-japan.html) |
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