Birding Korea

Birding Tours/Winter Tours

[Winter] Core Birding Trip for Far East Asian Endemics (12 days)

BirdingKorea 2018. 1. 5. 11:39

Core Winter Birding Trip for Far East Asian Endemics (12 day winter birding tour)

 

Seoul - Han river - Cheorwon -  East Coast - Seosan - Geum river - Suncheon Bay - Upo wetland - Ganghwa Island - Seoul

 

 

 

Birding site : Mudflat, Rice filed, Wetland, Coast & Forest  

How far from Seoul : 30~450km

How to bird : driving & walking Main Target : Tundra Bean Goose, Falcated Teal, Baikal Teal, Harlequin Duck, Scaly-sided Merganser, Oriental Stork, Temminck's Cormorant, Saunders's Gull, Ancient Murrelet, White-tailed Eagle, Steller's Sea Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, White-naped Crane, Hooded Crane, Red-crowned Crane, Pygmy Woodpecker, Pallas's RosefinchTarget Family : Geese, Ducks, Cranes, Raptors, Woodpeckers, Thrushes, Robins, Finches, Bunting, CrowsGood Season : November ~ mid-March* This Trip is designed for 12 day, but you can ask us to extend or reduce.

 

Targets in detail

  • Swan Goose
  • Greater White-fronted Goose
  • Taiga Bean-Goose
  • Tundra Bean-Goose
  • Whooper Swan
  • Ruddy Shelduck
  • Common Shelduck
  • Mandarin Duck
  • Baikal Teal
  • Northern Shoveler
  • Gadwall
  • Falcated Duck
  • Eurasian Wigeon
  • Eastern Spot-billed Duck
  • Mallard
  • Northern Pintail
  • Green-winged Teal
  • Common Pochard
  • Tufted Duck
  • Greater Scaup
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Black Scoter
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Smew
  • Common Merganser
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Scaly-sided Merganser
  • Ring-necked Pheasant
  • Horned Grebe
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Little Grebe
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Eared Grebe
  • Oriental Turtle-Dove
  • Eurasian Coot
  • Sandhill Crane
  • White-naped Crane
  • Common Crane
  • Hooded Crane
  • Red-crowned Crane
  • Eurasian Curlew
  • Northern Lapwing
  • Sanderling
  • Common Snipe
  • Common Sandpiper
  • Green Sandpiper
  • Common Murre
  • Spectacled Guillemot
  • Ancient Murrelet
  • Mew Gull
  • Saunders's Gull
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Herring Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Glaucous Gull
  • Red-throated Loon
  • Arctic Loon
  • Pacific Loon
  • Pelagic Cormorant
  • Great Cormorant
  • Gray Heron
  • Great Egret
  • Little Egret
  • Oriental Stork
  • Eurasian Spoonbill
  • Cinereous Vulture
  • Hen Harrier
  • Northern Goshawk
  • White-tailed Eagle
  • Steller's Sea-Eagle
  • Eastern Buzzard
  • Upland Buzzard
  • Eurasian Eagle-Owl
  • Long-eared Owl
  • Gray-capped Woodpecker
  • Pygmy Woodpecker
  • White-backed Woodpecker
  • Great Spotted Woodpecker
  • Gray-headed Woodpecker
  • Eurasian Kestrel
  • Bull-headed Shrike
  • Chinese Great Grey Shrike
  • Eurasian Jay
  • Azure-winged Magpie
  • Oriental Magpie
  • Rook
  • Daurian Jackdaw
  • Carrion Crow
  • Large-billed Crow
  • Bohemian Waxwing
  • Coal Tit
  • Varied Tit
  • Marsh Tit
  • Great Tit
  • Chinese Penduline-Tit
  • Eurasian Skylark
  • Brown-eared Bulbul
  • Long-tailed Tit
  • Vinous-throated Parrotbill
  • Japanese White-eye
  • Goldcrest
  • Eurasian Wren
  • Brown Dipper
  • White-cheeked Starling
  • Eurasian Nuthatch
  • Naumann's Thrush
  • Dusky Thrush
  • Daurian Redstart
  • Siberian Accentor
  • Blue Rock-Thrush
  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow
  • Japanese Wagtail
  • White Wagtail
  • Brambling
  • Hawfinch
  • Yellow-billed Grosbeak
  • Long-tailed Rosefinch
  • Oriental Greenfinch
  • Yellow-throated Bunting
  • Pallas's Bunting
  • Reed Bunting
  • Rustic Bunting
 

 

Outline 

  • This trip is designed to focus on Far East Asia Endemics in 
    winter. 
  • This Trip starts and ends in Seoul.
  • An experienced leader will guide you 
    through all the schedules.
  • This trip will cover the most of the famous wintering habitats in South Korea.
  • The schedule can be reduced or increased under the agreement.

Day 1 Seoul - Arrival and Welcoming

 

 

Day 2

Han river - 

The upper area of the Han River is one of the most popular places for Steller's sea eagle, Scaly-sided merganser and Whooper swan in Korea. Though this place is close to Seoul, it's really amazing to be able to see many kinds of common winter birds.

 

 

Day 3

Cheorwon 

Cheorwon is famous for being the best crane-watching site in East Asia. 

Cheorwon is very close to the DMZ, so a local guide will help us to get into Civilian Control Area and core points. If we are lucky, we can see more than 5 different crane species. It's one of the biggest wintering habitat for Cinereous Vultures.

 

 

Day 4

Cheorwon - We can see cranes and geese waking up together in a calm lake.

 

 

Day 5

East Coast(northern area) - The east coast becomes special in winter. Lagoons and Coast lines are crowded with many wintering birds, making for beautiful scenery. The environment is quite different from the west coast, so the birds are different. We can see many kinds of raptors, gulls, scoters, ducks, swans and murrelets. 
 
Day 6

East Coast(southern area) - We will explore habitats in a more southern(or northern) area of the east coast and try to pick up any birds we might  have missed on Day 4.

 

Day 7

Seosan Cheonsu Bay 

Cheonsu-Bay is the most attractive birdwatching site for wintering birds. It's 

located on the west coast of Chungcheong province. The biggest rice fields are filled with hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks. Oriental Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill and many kinds of raptors can also be found here.

 

 

Day 8

Geum River Estuary 

- One of the top 5 birding sites in Korea. We will focus on 

Baikal teals in this area. They

 form huge groups in Korea in winter-over 500,000 at times. If we are lucky, we can see one of the greatest spectacles in the avian world. 

 

Day 9 

Suncheon BaySuncheon Bay is famous for well-preserved mudflat ecosystem. It is the largest wintering location of Hooded Cranes in Korea. More than 3000 of them were recorded in late last winter.

 

Day 10

Upo Wetland 

Upo Wetland is the largest natural wetland in Korea, and is a famous winter habitat for migrating birds where you can enjoy beautiful scenery. Crested Ibis was restored in Upo and released in spring 2019.

 

 

Day 11

Ganghwa Island - G

angwha Island is one of the most attractive birdwatching sites in west coast of Seoul. We can see many kinds of wintering birds including t

housands of Bean Geese and special small group of Red-crowned Cranes in the wetland.

 

 

Day 12 Seoul - Leaving and Farewell

 

Included in the cost :  Accommodation(twin room or Korean-style floor-heating room), all meals including picnic lunches, bottled water, transportation, all park entrance fees, and the services of local guides and leaders. 

 
Not included : International airfare, insurance, visa fees, departure tax, excess luggage charges, drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature.

 

BOOK THIS TOUR

 

  • When you submit your booking request, we will give you a notice about a deposit to fix the schedule.
  • If you have any questions, please e-mail us at birding.kr@gmail.com. 
  • If you are travelling alone, we can help you find other birders if you like. When you book, please tell us the dates you prefer.
  • If you would like a longer tour to see more birding hot spots, you can add locations in the south parts of the peninsula like Nakdong estuary, Junam reservior, Dongnim reservoir and Jeju island. 
  • If you would like a shorter tour to fit your schedule, you can ask us.