BAIKAL TEALS DISAPPEAR FROM CHEONSUMAN BAY

[Anchor Lead]

Cheonsuman Bay in Seosan, the largest stopover for migratory birds in Korea, used to be popular for the beautiful group dances of Baikal teals. But the birds have not visited the area for almost a decade now. Here's why.

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As the sun sets, thousands of Baikal teal fly together creating a breathtaking spectacle. Cheonsuman Bay is the largest stopover for some 300,000 migratory birds. But there are no more Baikal teal among them these days. Every year some 400,000 to 500,000 of these birds used to visit the area. But they haven't been spotted here since 2010.

[Soundbite] HAN SEONG-WOO(SEOSAN BIRDLAND) : "The Baikal teal only stops by this area briefly. The birds don't stay here through the winter."

The harvest season has just ended in the Cheonsuman Bay area, but there is almost no grain left on the ground for the birds to feed on, and all rice straw is collected to feed livestock. The changes began around a decade ago, when the reclamation land in the area was leased to private farms that use high-tech agricultural machinery. More than 3,000 tons of fallen grain is needed for some 400,000 Baikal teal to prepare for winter. The Cheonsuman Bay area can no longer provide that to the birds.

[Soundbite] KIM SHIN-HWAN(KOREAN FEDERATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT) : "There is no grain for the birds to eat. The Baikal teal is unlikely to visit Cheonsuman Bay again unless the situation improves."

More than 90 percent of the species visit Korea from Siberia at this time of the year, providing a majestic sight in the sky. But with the drastic decline in the number of Baikal teal visiting the area, Cheonsuman Bay area is losing a key spectacle.