South Korea Travel - All Four Seasons

Winter bird watching tours

The period from December to March is the peak season for winter bird watching in Korea. Hardy birders braving the cold tramp through desolate fields under a winter sky are rewarded with splendid group dances and superb flying by thousands of migratory birds. More than 100 species of birds migrate from Siberia and Northern Manchuria to winter in Korea, and over 100 more species pass through Korea on their way further south.

Many guided bird watching tours are offered by nature protection organizations or travel agencies, and these are often preferable to solitary birding, as the accompanying guides know best where to find the birds and can identify those sighted. In addition, birding tours to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone), are highly controlled and guides can best handle obtaining the necessary permissions.

Several times each winter, the Korean Bird Protection Association holds a special feeding and bird watching event free of charge for 180 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A combination of a national security tour and bird watching tour, it visits the controlled areas around the DMZ which are not usually accessible and where, therefore, many bird colonies have become established. The tour also includes the infiltration tunnels in P’aju, Tora Observatory and the Unification Observatory in Ch’orwon. In addition, the Korean Bird Association is planning bird watching tours to Chejudo Island and to the mouth of the Kumgang River.

Bird Watching Tips

Always wear drab-colored clothing and waterproof boots since colorful clothing may alarm the birds and the bird watching routes often take you through swampy areas. Also, birds sometimes are repelled by perfumes and colognes. Be sure to take bird handbooks and binoculars.

The best time of day for bird watching depends on the bird. Usually, the best time to watch dancing and other ritual performances is at dawn or sunset. During the later morning, you can often see large groups of birds resting on the ground after eating.

Migratory Bird Watching Sites in Korea

Ch’orwon, Kangwon-do Province:

This paradise for migratory birds, located within the DMZ and therefore uninhabited by humans for the last 40 years, is the visiting place of cranes, ash cranes and eagles.

Ch’onsuma Gulf, Sosan, Ch’unch’ongnam-do Province:

This fresh-water artificial lake was created by a large scale land-reclamation project and the huge area attracts rare storks and blackfaced spoonbills. The nearby tidal flats are also worth exploring.

Yoch’a-ri, Kanghwado Island, Inch’on:

One of the closest migratory bird habitats to Seoul. Thousands of snipe visit here each winter.

Chunam Reservoir, Tong-up, Ch’angwon, Kyongsangnam-do Province:

This is the most popular spot for migratory birds in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. Thousands of swans, geese and ducks commonly fill the skies in this area.

Songsanp’o, Chejudo Island:

This most southerly arrival spot is the best place to spot red-headed ducks.