Yoon Moo-boo, Korea’s beloved ‘bird doctor,’ dies at 84

Yoon Moo-boo, Korea's renowned ornithologist and educator, is seen in this undated file photo. Yonhap

Yoon Moo-boo, a prominent ornithologist and educator known to many as Korea’s “bird doctor,” died on Friday at Kyung Hee University Medical Center in Seoul. He was 84.

Yoon, who had a stroke in 2006 and suffered a recurrence in June, is remembered for his unwavering devotion to the study and preservation of Korea’s birds. He continued his work even after being confined to a wheelchair and developing partial paralysis that forced him to learn to photograph with his non-dominant left hand.

Born in 1941 in the coastal town of Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, Yoon grew fascinated with birds as an elementary school student after encountering a hoopoe. He later remarked that, if born again, he would want to come back as a hoopoe, a testament to his lifelong affection for the creatures.

Over a career spanning five decades, Yoon traversed the Korean Peninsula, amassing a staggering archive of 600,000 bird photographs and more than 1,300 reels of footage.

Yoon held bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from Kyung Hee University and wrote his doctorate thesis on the geographic variation of whistling thrush songs.

From 1979 until 2006, he taught biology at Kyung Hee University, later holding emeritus status.

Ornithologist Yoon Moo-boo is birdwatching in this file photo from Jun 18, 2004. Korea Times file photo

He contributed to various public and governmental bodies as an ornithologist, including Zoological Society Korea and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. He was also appointed as Korea’s honorary peace ambassador to the United Nations.

Famed for his appearance on KBS’ “Quiz Exploration Mysterious World” animal quiz program and other TV shows, Yoon introduced the wonders of birdlife to countless Korean households, breaking down the complexities of avian ecology and behavior in accessible terms.

He chronicled his insights in bestselling works like “Birds of Korea,” “Wild Birds of Korea” and “Nature Exploration with Professor Yoon Moo-boo.”

Noted for his resilience, Yoon overcame life-threatening experiences in the field while birdwatching, including a nearly fatal cold in 2006, which left him partially paralyzed after a stroke. Still, he continued birdwatching during his rehabilitation, driven, as he said, by his profound love for birds.

He is survived by his family, including a son who is also an active ornithologist.