The islands in Shinan serve as internationally significant breeding sites for various seabirds, including the Horned Puffin (Synthliboramphus wumizusume), Rhinoceros Auklet (Synthliboramphus antiquus), Barau's Petrel (Oceanodroma monorhis), and Storm Petrel (Calonectris leucomelas). With more than 60,000 pairs of seabirds breeding on Chilbaldo and Guguldo Islands alone, Guguldo Island, in particular, is renowned as the largest breeding site for the Barau's Petrel in the world.
The islands in Shinan are not only breeding grounds for seabirds but also for various shorebirds and summer migrants. Species such as raptors, including top predators and endangered species like eagles(Falco peregrinus), as well as Eurasian Spoonbill(Locustella pleskei) and Black-crowned Night Heron(Apus pacificus), breed on these islands. In particular, the White-tailed Eagle(Haliaeetus albicilla), known as a winter migrant, breeds exclusively on Heuksando, making it the only breeding site for this species in South Korea.
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- Oceanodroma castroOceanodroma monorhis
- Over 70% of the global population breeds on four islands in Shinan, including Guguldo, Soguguldo, Gaerindo, and Chilbaldo.
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- Locustella pleskeiLocustella pleskei
- It is a summer migrant to South Korea, and breeding has been confirmed on over 30 lure islands and uninhabited islands in Shinan.
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- Haliaeetus albicillaHaliaeetus albicilla
- This large predatory seabird, with a wingspan exceeding 2 meters, is a prominent winter migrant. However, it breeds exclusively on Heuksando, making it the only breeding site for this species in South Korea.
