CHINESE CRESTED TERN SPOTTED IN KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

The Chinese crested tern. a mysterious bird with a global population of just 100, has been spotted breeding in a natural environment in Korea.

[Pkg]

An unusual kind of sea gull can be seen among a large flock of black-tailed gulls on this island. The birds have black feathers on their heads, which look like crowns. It's the Chinese crested tern. A mother looks around cautiously, her chick snuggled by her side. Back in March seven Chinese crested terns came to Korea. One chick was born in a natural environment. The father works hard to fetch fish for his family. The mother is busy chasing away black-tailed gulls trying to snatch the prey. She tries desperately to protect her chick.

[Soundbite] Cha Jin-yeol(Nat’l Institute of Ecology) : "Chinese crested terns sitting on their eggs were first spotted among black-tailed gulls on Yuksando Island in April, 2016. It's the world's fifth recorded habitat of this species after China."

The Chinese crested tern had not been seen for over 60 years after 1937 before it was spotted again in Taiwan in 2000. It's an internationally endangered species, with only a hundred Chinese crested terns known to be alive now.

[Soundbite] Park Jin-young(Nat’l Institute of Ecology) : "The birds are mysterious because it's unknown when they lay eggs and where they migrate. Korean islands now play an important role as their habitats."

Some of the birds that stayed in this area last year have been confirmed to have returned to Korea this year. Scientists say this species comes to Korea from Thailand and other regions in early February. Seven months later the birds fly away to Qingdao, China. The environment ministry has begun preparations to designate the Chinese crested tern as a Class 1 wild endangered species and launch an ecological study.