Environment ministry names whooper swan November endangered species

The environment ministry said Tuesday it has selected the whooper swan, a first-class endangered species that winters in South Korea, as its endangered wildlife of the month for November, pointing to habitat loss as the reason the birds need protection.

The whooper swan's numbers have fallen sharply as tidal flats and wetlands have been reclaimed and developed, shrinking the feeding and resting grounds the birds depend on during the winter, according to the ministry.

A large bird, the whooper swan measures 120 to 150 centimeters from the tip of its bill to the end of its tail feathers and weighs about 3.4 to 7.8 kilograms. Adult males and females are entirely white, with black bills marked by a yellow patch at the base of the upper bill and short black legs. Juveniles are grayish-brown all over, with pale pink bills tipped in black. The species resembles the tundra swan, a second-class endangered species, but is smaller and has less yellow on its bill.

Whooper swans feed mainly on the leaves, stems and roots of aquatic plants, adding aquatic insects and crustaceans while raising their young; on their wintering grounds they also eat grain left in farmland. They build mound-shaped nests from plant material such as willow branches, lay three to five eggs around April and May, and incubate them for about a month before the chicks hatch. The young stay with their parents through their first winter, learning migration routes and where to feed.

The birds breed in northern Eurasia, Alaska and northern Canada and spend the winter in Korea, China, Japan, Europe and parts of the western United States. In Korea they winter mainly in coastal estuaries, lakes, lagoons and reclaimed land, and are also spotted at inland lakes and reservoirs such as Chungju Lake and Paldang Lake.

Under the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, anyone who captures, collects, damages or kills a first-class endangered species such as the whooper swan without permission faces up to five years in prison or a fine of 5 million won ($3,729) to 50 million won ($37,286).

Details on the whooper swan, the tundra swan and other endangered species are available on the websites of the National Institute of Biological Resources and the National Institute of Ecology, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said.