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Birds and Nature Reserves in North Korea

Reserves in Rason and Mundok

The Rason and Mundok Migratory Bird Reserves in North Korea are attracting the attention of the world's ornithologists as a major habitat for migratory birds in and out of the Asia-Pacific and have recently also been advertised by the DPRK as a bird watching spot of international importance. The Hanns Seidel Foundation has worked on various projects in Rason since 2009, following the development of the area as a Special Economic Zone for years.

The DPRK has also started trying to draw more attention to the sites through different articles, such as their introduction of the Rason Migratory Bird Reserve on their website Chosun Ilbo or their feature of the Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve on the Young Pioneer website. The website is the main organizer for guided tours to the DPRK and has also started advertising trips to the reserve starting from Pyongyang, aimed mainly at birdwatchers.

Ecological Diversity in the Bird Reserves

The Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve is a wetland on the west coast of Korea, located in Mundok County, South Pyongan Province, and was designated as a migratory bird reserve in 1995. The reserve offers various feed favored by waterbirds due to the heavy gulf between the low and high tides, making it an ideal place for the birds to recharge energy and take a rest on the way of their thousands-of-kilometer-long flight along the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. Many countries are now putting colored bands and flags on migratory birds for their observation, identification, and conservation, with a variety of these birds having been spotted taking rest in the reserve.

A selection of them are for instance hooded cranes, which can be spotted moving through the fields in quite large numbers after having spent their summers near Lake Baikal in Russia, a variety of herons and egrets and also spoonbills, including the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill.

The other important site for migratory birds is the Rason Migratory Bird Reserve, a large area facing the Korean East Sea at the Tumen River Estuary, which consists of various types of wetlands such as lakes and rice fields. It offers not only beautiful landscapes but also ideal habitats for animals and birds, with lakes with clear water, large and small bays and islands, and peaceful and dense forests, making it attractive to more than 50,000 water birds of 250 different species, including endangered ones.

These include 3,100 red-headed ducks, which account for 3% of the total population of the planet, and about 1,990 sea pheasants, known as one of the world's most vulnerable species. Also, apart from migratory birds there is a wide variety of ecological diversity, with roe deer, squirrels and foxes residing there, as well as various insects, aquatic plants, and natural monuments such as cherry trees and pine mushrooms.

Protection of the Sites

Due to this biological diversity, scientists and experts on ornithology alike gain interest and have visited the sites for joint biological surveys and have made an effort to protect migratory birds residing in the area as well as to conserve their habitats in the wetlands.

The sites’ international importance for the migration of birds has since been acknowledged by experts and both the Rason and Mundok wetlands have been designated as Ramsar Sites of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, promoting the conservation of wetlands and wise use of their ecosystem services.  In 2017, the DPRK also joined the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership which protects migratory habitats along the routes of many species of birds in East Asia and since registered both the Rason and Mundok migratory bird reserves as Flyway Network Sites.