The Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a globally vulnerable species whose breeding population is heavily concentrated along the South Korea, making it highly sensitive to habitat disturbance. South Korea has implemented conservation programs that include egg rescue, artificial rearing, and release, yet post-release movement ecology of captive-bred individuals remains poorly documented. We tracked six released Black-faced spoonbills from Gaksiam, Ganghwa Island (2021~2024) using solar-powered GPS Trackers. Released individuals showed substantial variation in dispersal distance, home-range size, and habitat use. Some released Black-faced spoonbills migrated long distances along the west coast to wintering sites in eastern China, similar to wild conspecifics. Others exhibited contrasting short-term dispersal patterns, either remaining near the release site or moving rapidly toward inland or North Korean wetlands. These results indicate that captive-bred spoonbills can perform natural long-distance migration, but also reveal strong individual variation in early dispersal strategies. Our findings provide essential baseline information for refining release timing, pre-release training, and adaptive management in ongoing restoration programs.

• 양민승(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Min-Seung Yang (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Gyeongbuk 36531, Republic of Korea)
• 유성연(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Sung-Yeon Yoo (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Gyeongbuk 36531, Republic of Korea)
• 황종경(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Jong-Kyeong Hwang (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Gyeongbuk 36531, Republic of Korea)
• 권인기(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | In-Ki Kwon (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Gyeongbuk 36531, Republic of Korea)
• 윤종민(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Jongmin Yoon (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Gyeongbuk 36531, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author