Ciconia boyciana

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CICONIIFORMES	CICONIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Ciconia boyciana

Species Authority:

Swinhoe, 1873

Common Name/s:

English	–	Japanese White Stork, Oriental Stork, Oriental White Stork
Spanish	–	Cigüeña Blanca Coreana, Cigüeña Oriental

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered C2a(ii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S., Bird, J., Crosby, M.

Contributor/s:

Barter, M., Chan, S., Li, Z.

Justification:
This stork is listed as Endangered because it has a very small population, which has undergone a rapid decline that is projected to continue in the future, based on current levels of deforestation, wetland reclamation for agriculture, overfishing, and disturbance.

History:

2007	–	Endangered
2006	–	Endangered
2004	–	Endangered
2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Endangered

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Ciconia boyciana breeds in the Amur and Ussuri basins along the border of Russia and mainland China. It is a summer vagrant in eastern Mongolia. The main wintering grounds are in the lower Yangtze basin and southern China, as far south as Taiwan (China) and Hong Kong (China). Small numbers winter in North Korea and South Korea and Japan and irregularly in the Philippines, north-eastern India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The population is estimated at 3,000 individuals^4,5, with significant declines in breeding birds reported in Russia. The 2005 Yangtze waterbird survey recorded 1,194 individuals².
Countries:	Native: China; Hong Kong; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Russian Federation; Taiwan, Province of China Vagrant: Bangladesh; India; Mongolia; Myanmar; Philippines
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The previous global population estimate for this species was 3,000 individuals so it is best treated as falling within the bracket of 1,000 to 2,499 mature individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It nests on tall trees and artificial structures such as electricity pylons. It feeds on fish and small animals in open, usually fresh water, wetlands, and occasionally coastal tidal flats.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Deforestation and drainage of wetlands for agricultural development are the main causes of decline in its breeding grounds. In Russia, spring fires threaten breeding sites and kill nest trees. Reclamation of wetlands, particularly in the Yangtze basin, has reduced the area of habitat for wintering birds and caused disturbance. Overfishing is a problem at many wintering sites in China. A recent satellite-tracking study indicated very high juvenile mortality on passage and in winter¹. Wintering birds move large distances between sites¹. Birds are hunted and collected for zoos, in Russia and China, despite legal protection. Dams on the Amur River and the forthcoming Three Gorges Dam in China are likely to have detrimental impacts upon the species, though they may affect this species less severely than others as they feed on fish and are therefore less susceptible to changes in water level^2,3.

Major Threat(s):

Deforestation and drainage of wetlands for agricultural development are the main causes of decline in its breeding grounds. In Russia, spring fires threaten breeding sites and kill nest trees. Reclamation of wetlands, particularly in the Yangtze basin, has reduced the area of habitat for wintering birds and caused disturbance. Overfishing is a problem at many wintering sites in China. A recent satellite-tracking study indicated very high juvenile mortality on passage and in winter¹. Wintering birds move large distances between sites¹. Birds are hunted and collected for zoos, in Russia and China, despite legal protection. Dams on the Amur River and the forthcoming Three Gorges Dam in China are likely to have detrimental impacts upon the species, though they may affect this species less severely than others as they feed on fish and are therefore less susceptible to changes in water level^2,3.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions Underway CITES Appendix I, CMS Appendix I. It is legally protected in Russia, Mongolia, China, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Protected areas in its breeding and wintering grounds include Lake Bolon, Lake Khanka and Khingansky (Russia), and Sanjiang, Honghe, Zhalong, Changlindao, Yanwodao, Xingkai Hu, Horqin, Shengjin Hu, Poyang Hu, Dong Dongting Hu and Chen Hu (China). Reintroduction programmes are underway in South Korea and Japan. Conservation Actions Proposed Carry out surveys to obtain an up-to-date estimate of the total population size. Monitor population trends through regular surveys. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation. Estimate levels of illegal capture. Establish protected areas on the Sanjiang plain, China. Expand the Khanka State Reserve, Russia, to include all existing and potential nest-sites. Maintain tall trees for nesting and add artificial nest poles to potential breeding sites. Control overfishing in the wintering grounds. Control human activities at nest sites between 25th March-20th July. Campaign against the use of fire by farmers in the breeding grounds. Prevent poisoning from pesticides and poaching. Re-establish viable breeding populations in South Korea and Japan.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix I, CMS Appendix I. It is legally protected in Russia, Mongolia, China, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Protected areas in its breeding and wintering grounds include Lake Bolon, Lake Khanka and Khingansky (Russia), and Sanjiang, Honghe, Zhalong, Changlindao, Yanwodao, Xingkai Hu, Horqin, Shengjin Hu, Poyang Hu, Dong Dongting Hu and Chen Hu (China). Reintroduction programmes are underway in South Korea and Japan.

Conservation Actions Proposed
Carry out surveys to obtain an up-to-date estimate of the total population size. Monitor population trends through regular surveys. Monitor rates of habitat loss and degradation. Estimate levels of illegal capture. Establish protected areas on the Sanjiang plain, China. Expand the Khanka State Reserve, Russia, to include all existing and potential nest-sites. Maintain tall trees for nesting and add artificial nest poles to potential breeding sites. Control overfishing in the wintering grounds. Control human activities at nest sites between 25th March-20th July. Campaign against the use of fire by farmers in the breeding grounds. Prevent poisoning from pesticides and poaching. Re-establish viable breeding populations in South Korea and Japan.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2008. Ciconia boyciana. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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