birding...

Birds of South Korea

Birds of South Korea – A Conservation Project by Charlie Moores Video Production and Nial Moores. Endorsed by Wetlands & Birds Korea, Wetlands International, The Sierra Club, & Portland Bird Observatory. PAL VHS Running Time 170 minutes. Available from the WBKEnglish website (see below), at Slimbridge Wildfowl & Wetland Trust, Portland Bird Observatory and through the Birding World shop. Cost is £19.95 + £2.00 p&p (US $32, €33). Cheques or money orders made out to WBKEnglish to:WBKEnglish, 32, Littlecote Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, UK SN14 0NY.

Nial Moores - has written Introduction & Birding Year on Fatbirder`s South Korea page and can be contacted on info@wbkenglish.com or spoonbill@hotmail.com see the website http://www.wbkenglish.com/

The profits from the sale of this video go where they are needed most – supporting conservation: funding conservation projects; training staff, and helping ensure that the spectacular avifauna of this fascinating country receives the attention and protection that it truly deserves.

This video was researched and filmed by Charles and Nial Moores along with Korean wetland conservation activist Kim Sukyung deliberately to promote birdlife conservation and highlight threats to fragile and threatened habitats. Charlie Moores sent me this video to review following his brother Nial`s contributing to Fatbirder`s South Korea page. They asked me the favour of reviewing it and I happily agreed to support their efforts in this way – so I expected a worthy (but rather boring) video – the usual dusty offering of a filmed catalogue of birds with a dull commentary telling me about wing coverts and colour clines.

What a surprise – the turns out to be the best birding video I have ever watched! It is not a tedious guide to the country`s birds (although it does give that guidance); nor is it a travelogue of the pythonesque type (yet it does show you a great deal about Korea`s landscape and culture). What is it? Its brilliant, that`s what!

It doesn`t try to be all things for all birders and, by not trying, manages to achieve just that.

The video is a story of conservation activists. It is a travelogue for intending travellers. It is a visual guide to the avifauna. It is a mouth-watering introduction to Islands where migration and rarity counts make the Scillies in October seem as rich in bird life as my garage roof in November!

The style is unusual. Charles talks about the country and its culture from the point of view of the visitor whilst the video shows you it. Almost in passing birds are mentioned and illustrated – each time this happens the name (down to race) appears on the screen under the birds. In a chatty way he points out the racial characteristics of visiting thrushes or breeding buntings simply but with a richness of information one would not easily digest were it not for his relaxed style. This off-hand, by the way method is an example to all budding videographers. I hate being talked down to or lectured and this never

The enthusiasm of everyone involved in this project is infectious and I for one desperately want to go to South Korea now. The landscape may be rather uninspiring but the birds… ooooooh! What was the name of that island again? You know, the one where Nial averaged one new species for Korea every 8 days during migration!

Cleverly woven into this video are 175 species and their favoured sites along with lots of taxonomical info and commentary on culture and conservation concerns. The birds, as always star, from stunning blue flycatchers and wagtail races through to virtually the entire world`s wintering population of Baikal Teal!

Do I recommend this video? No! I absolutely insist that you buy it today. Not only will you be doing the right thing and contributing to conservation where and when it is vitally needed, but you will also be buying a real birding treat for yourself. What`s more, like me, you will soon be writing to the Moores to find out about their tours to South Korea!

Fatbirder

Created: 1st Aug 2002