The Seasonal Birds Geumgang Birdwatch Observatory Movement of the Seasonal Birds The Upper Part of the Estuary Bank The Lower Part of the Estuary Bank Eoeun-ri Tidal Flat Paper Corea Woods Yubudo Island Napo Crossfield   [Oystercathcer] haematopus ostralegus osculans SWINHOE Features: The brow and the neck of the males and females with summer plumage are black. They have some white small spots under the eyes. The eyelids are reddish orange. The shoulder feathers and the upper part of back are black. The upper part of breast has a black stripe which meets the black part of neck. The lower part of back, the waist, The upper feathers covering the tail, the lower part of breast, the stomach, the side, the lower feathers covering tail are pure white. The lower feathers covering wings and the armpit feathers are white. The tail is white whose fore part has a black wide stripe. The beak is dark gray, and the end is black. The legs are red. The throat of females and males with winter plumage has a white thick stripe. The upper feathers covering tail has the horizontal dappled design of black and red rusty color with yellow tint. The beak is dark brown, and the legs are skin color. Mode of life: They live in the places which have the rocks of the deserted islands, the sandy and gravelly shore, the estuary delta, or the tidal flat during breeding time, and they pass the winter in the sand field of river or the delta of reclaimed land. A small group of 4-5 search for food around the rocks in the coast or reclaimed land, and they are unapproachable because they are very sensitive. They glut themselves with polychaeta putting their beak into the tidal flat, and they take away and eat shellfish quickly or open and eat bivalvia while walking on rocks. Call: They are heard "popiyo-popiyp", "pi-pi-pi-pi-pit", "pit-pit-pit-pit", kuit-kuit-kuit", or "keet-keet-keet-keet" during breeding time, and "pit-pit-pit" when they are alert. Usually they are heard "kurip-kurip-kurip", and they repeat it twice or three times. They also cry when they soar up or come down to a land. Breeding place: They dwell in the sand field of deserted islands around coast or the small island of rivers. Breeding time: They lay eggs from about the middle of April till May. The number of eggs of the same litter is 2-3. The eggs have the dark black brown dappled design and gray spots on the yellowish brown. Females and males brood over eggs for hatching together, but usually females do it Taste: They live on Mollucca from sea, and they also have crab, polychaeta, earthworm, insects, small fish, and seaweeds. Range: They can be found in the west sea of Korea.
888 Jochon-dong, Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea Tel. 88-063-450-4000 Copyright (c) 2003 Gunsan City, All right reserved.