By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
It's now the season where swallows make their return to Korea after wintering in Southeast Asia.
The bird species used to be very common here, appearing in many folk stories and songs. But the number of swallows returning each year is getting smaller and smaller, and the cultural authorities are considering designating the species as a natural monument.
Lee In-kyu, new head of the Cultural Properties Committee under the Cultural Heritage Administration, said, ``We think it is time to designate swallows as a natural monument. The bird used to be so familiar in our life and culture but is now hard to see.''
As Lee said, swallows have almost disappeared in urban areas and the number has largely dropped in rural regions as well. According to the National Institute of Biological Resources, the density of the swallow population was 21.2 per 100 hectares last year, down from 37 in 2000.
He said the authorities are planning to conduct research on the state of the species this year.
A committee official said researchers will conduct the study in late May when most swallows migrate to Korea.
The official said the main reason behind their disappearance might be a decrease of insects, swallows' prey.
``Since the 1970s, farmers here started using insecticide. Swallows have had difficulty surviving in Korea due to a shortage of prey and damage in natural environment.''
He also cited a change in living and agricultural culture. ``Farms grow crops in greenhouses, which means the birds are unable to catch bugs. Swallows also used to build nests after getting straw from houses with thatched roof, but now such houses are barely seen,'' he said.
Besides the swallow, 47 other bird species are currently designated as natural monuments, including the eagle. On the contrary, Lee said they may consider lifting the designation on the mandarin duck, natural monument No. 327, as the number of that species has grown rapidly.