Why Has This Summer Bird Visited Andong for 10 Years? ... Silver-winged Gull from Australia Nests on Artificial Sand Island in Andong Lake

An adult Black-legged Kittiwake is feeding its chick.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwi-yeol] The summer migratory bird 'Little Tern,' which has been visiting for 10 years, is becoming a famous attraction in Andong City. With the absence of its natural predator, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, these terns are boldly nesting on the sandbanks and raising their families.

Andong City in Gyeongbuk announced that the newly created artificial sand island in Andong Lake (Andongho) has established itself as a habitat for Little Terns.

On the 4th of last month, Andong City reported that after mating, nest building, and incubation, Little Tern chicks hatched from their eggs for the first time and most of the chicks born have grown into adults, flying around the lake and practicing hunting and adaptation training with their parents.

According to CCTV monitoring for ecological observation by Andong City, the first group of Little Terns visited Andong Lake this year on March 30.

Last year, the first visit was on April 2, in 2020 on April 6, and in 2019 on April 8. The growth rate of the chicks has also accelerated, increasing the number of individuals capable of flight compared to last year. At one point, up to about 180 Little Terns, including parents and chicks, were observed.

This year, a total of 81 chicks hatched at 28 nests at intervals of 2 to 3 days, and currently, the two artificial sand islands are bustling like a chick nursery.

This year, the Eurasian Eagle-Owl, the most threatening natural predator to the Little Terns, did not appear, allowing the entire process from egg-laying to chick growth to proceed stably.

Previously, the 50 pipes installed by Andong City as shelters against attacks by the Eurasian Eagle-Owl were confirmed to have been used by Little Tern chicks as refuge from heavy rain or heatwaves.

It was also confirmed that smooth breeding occurred on the second artificial island (800㎡), created last November through the Ministry of Environment's Ecosystem Conservation Cooperation Fund return project. Earlier, in late March 2020, Andong City created the nation's first permanent artificial sand island of 1000㎡ in Andong Lake.

Little Terns, which fly 10,000 km from Australia and mainly inhabit sandy beaches in Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia between April and July, have been laying eggs and raising chicks on twin sand islands inside inland Andong Lake since 2013. As a summer migratory bird, the Little Tern is a migratory species that returns to its birthplace.

Although breeding was difficult due to the disappearance of the existing habitat, the twin sand islands (mountain peaks) caused by rising water levels in Andong Lake four years ago, Andong City explained that the creation of a permanent artificial sand island has made stable and continuous species preservation possible.

As the population of Little Terns in Andong Lake increases, the number of tourists visiting the habitat site is also rising. From March to the present, about 2,500 tourists have visited near the Little Tern habitat.

An official from Andong City said, “We will do our best to protect the habitat of the Little Terns, which have become a symbol of Andong Lake,” and added, “If the population increases further, we plan to promote ecological tourism resources by building ecological exploration infrastructure.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.