600 cranes embracing eagles…”extraordinary sight” what happened[영상]

On December 24 last year, around 11 am, Bingae Yeol on the Imjin River in Hoengsan-ri, Jung-myeon, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do. It is the largest wintering place in winter for the precious winter migratory birds, the crane (Natural Monument No. 202) and the white crane (Natural Monument No. 203). It is about 3km south of the military demarcation line. Since the end of October last year, over 600 cranes and white cranes have been flying here and winter. In the Yeoncheon Civil Control Line area in the area of ​​Bingyeoyeoul, tours and tourism for one year and four months from last winter until this winter are completely controlled due to the aftermath of African swine fever (ASF), novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), and avian influenza (AI).

Among the group of cranes, about 20 eagles (Natural Monument No. 243-1), a large bird covered in black feathers, are also in winter. On the 1st, Lee Seok-woo, CEO of the Yeoncheon Area Love Practice Group, said on the 1st, “A flock of eagles flew in the icebreak of the Imjin River, which is a wintering place for cranes, and they are spending the winter together with the cranes as if they were their own wintering grounds. It was a sight”.

All day long, a group of vultures sit on the gravel field next to the ford and sit with a group of cranes and take a rest or fly around. The crane flock does not show much alertness even if the flock of eagles intervene and rest. Rather, when an eagle approaches, it flaps its wings and shows a threatening appearance.

CEO Lee Seok-woo said, “When a group of eagles finds the body of a dead animal in the ford, they quickly flock to fight for food.” “When eagles fight for food, some white-tailed eagle (Natural Monument No. 243-4) Appears and fights for food. A crow appears to target this gap and quickly intercepts prey,” he said.

“This is the aftermath of ASF, Corona 19, and AI, and this seems to be the aftermath of the cessation of feeding activities in the eagle wintering area on the Jangdan Peninsula within the Paju Civil Control Line,” said Han Gap-soo, head of the Bird Protection Association’s Paju City Branch. As more than 700 eagles on the Jangdan Peninsula in Paju, which lost their lives, were scattered across the country, 20 of them seem to have moved to the wintering grounds of the Bing-ae-eo-wool cranes within the civilian line of the Central Front 60km east.”

Baek Un-ki (Doctor of Zoology), former president of the Korean Ornithological Society, said, “It is rare to see a group of eagles and cranes flying in winter together, but it is possible.” It seems that the wintering ground was chosen as a place where the view is wide open as a space where you can rest safely, and you can jointly guard the surroundings with a group of cranes.” “The cranes are clever, and they realize that eagles eat only carcasses and don’t hunt, and they stay still even if a group of eagles intervene.”

Bird experts say that feeding eagles on the Jangdan Peninsula, Paju, a wintering place for eagles, should be carried out regularly. Dr. Baek Ungi said, “If you do not feed the eagles in the Paju winter season, the problem of scattering the eagles around the country’s poultry and pig farms may occur.” “Therefore, it is important to keep the eagles staying while feeding them within a safe civilian line without civilian access. It will be able to protect eagles and relieve the worries of livestock farmers.”

Reporter Jeon Ik-jin [email protected]

☞ Eagle = Inhabits between Korea and Mongolia It is also called the nickname’wild scavenger’ by eating the carcasses of animals. Among the eagles and birds, the large raptors are commonly referred to as’eagles’, but are strictly different species. For example, “American Eagle” refers to a bald eagle. Of the eagles and birds, four types of eagles, golden eagles, decapitated eagles, and white-tailed eagles are designated as natural monuments (No. 243).