Report of Baikal teal in south Korea

1998

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Baikal Teal small Asian duck is sometimes called the Formosa Teal. The male in breeding plumage shows a distinctive combination of green, buff, black, and white on the face, including a vertical black stripe from the eye down to the black chin. By comparison, the female has an equally distinctive white stripe extending from just behind and below the eye down to the white throat, somewhat like the white marking found on a male American Wood duck.

The Baikal Teal's breeding distribution is similar to the Falcated Duck's but is somewhat more northenly, extending to the tundra-lines shores of the Arctic Ocean in eastern Siberia.

Its numbers are appearently declining in its wintering area in Japan, Korea may now be its most important wintering arsa. /"Duck in the Wild" by Paul A. Johnsgard

Now(January 29, 1998), Baikal Teal is over 100,000 in South Korea. Three mainly wintering sites are Sosan area, Kum river, and Youngsan river.

Sosan, Daesan, Sapkyo, and Asan landfill area

• October 3, 1997 at Sosan: first see, there is 4,000.
• October 25, 1997 at Sosan: total number is over 100,000. At pm. 5:40, They are divided 5 group and flying to east rice field for eating.
• November 16, 1997 at Sosan: they decreased to 25,000.
• December 7, 1997 at Sosan: They eating on rice field at am. 11:30 because it is cloudy.
• December 13, 1997 at Sosan: There is over 50,000.
• December 18, 1997 at Asan: there is 20,000 obserbed by Im Wan-Ho.
• January 2, 1998 at Sosan: there is 15,000.
• January 17, 1998 at Sosan: there is 50,000.
• January 28, 1998 at Sosan: No see. Because rice field is frozen and covered by snow. Maybe they leaved to south.

I think that Baikal Teal in Sosan region moved within Sosna, Daesan, Sapkyo and Asan areas. Kang Hee-Young's paper(1996) saying same.

Kum resorvoir and Nonsan resorvoir

• December 20, 1997 at Kum river: there is 7,000 Baikal Teal obserbed by prof. Jo Sam-Rae.
• January 13, 1998 at Kum river: Kim Heung-Jip see 7,000.
• January 17, 1998 at Nonsan resorvoir: Jong Byong-Chul see 500.
• January 19, 1998 at Kum river: I see 7,000 Baikal Teal
• January 24, 1998 at Nonsan resorvoir: Jong and Kim see 7,000. And a part of them move to Kum river.

They moved within Kum river and Nonsan resorvoir, also.

Youngsan resorvoir and Youngam resorvoir

Inhabitants of nearly leaving youngsan river say that this year(1997-98 wintering season) come many Baikal Teal to brfore year. First comming day is last moverber.

• January 12, 1998 at Youngsan river: there is 60,000 by Im Wan-Ho. Sometime they moved to Youngam landfill area.
• January 25, 1998 at Youngsan river: there is 50,000.

Besides Baikal Teal appear little at Junam resorvoir and Sunchon landfill area.