Common Birds in Japan? (1 Viewer)

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Hello everyone, especially you with Birding experience or knowledge of everyday life in Japan!

I´m trying to compile a short list of the most Common birds in Urban Japan, a list of the most conspicuous or striking birds that the "average Japanese" ( that is, true amateurs, non-ornithologist, people without any birding experience or previous knowledge of Birds) will meet, in their everyday life, on their way to school, work or in Gardens and Parks.

A short list of Birds (about 20) just about impossible to miss in the most populated areas, in Tokyo (Tokyo -Yokohama), Osaka and/or Nagoya. Unmistakable all year round or in its typical season.

Any suggestions?

Every help is warmly welcomed!

And no limits; the more nomination lists, the more participants, the better!

 

[Alexjh1]

Let's see... I've been to Japan twice in the past two years, and I'd put the most common birds at something like...

Tree Sparrow
Brown-eared Bulbul
Large Billed Crow / Japanese Crow / Jungle Crow (depending on what's going on with splitting them)
White-cheeked Starling
Japanese Whiteye
Black(-eared) Kite
Little Egret
Great Cormorant
Oriental Turtle Dove
Asian House Martin (Summer migrant)
Barn Swallow (Summer migrant)
Japanese Tit
Vega Gull (Coastal Winter Migrant)
Black-tailed Gull (Coastal only)
Japanese Wagtail
Mallard
Black-headed Gull
Feral Pigeon
Grey Heron
Carrion Crow
Oriental Greenfinch

My first visit was to Kyoto (with a side of Osaka) in early Summer, by second was (for the purposes of this) to Tokyo, and there was a fairly substantial difference between an inland city in Summer and a Coastal one in Winter. I saw birds on each trip that while allegedly very common in Japan, I didn't see on the other - Varied Tit, Great White Egret and Black-crowned Night Heron on the former, Azure-winged Magpie and Japanese Cromorant on the latter. Some birds like Oriental Greenfinch were also common in Kyoto/Osaka but I only saw singles of in Tokyo.

 

[chris butterworth]

I'd add :-
Mandarin Duck
Pacific Swift ( summer )
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker ( in most shrines, even Meiji-jingu )
Carrion ( Oriental ) Crow ( in cities in winter )
( Japanese ) Varied Tit
'Eurasian Nuthatch ( winter )
Eyebrowed Thrush ( winter in parks like Shinobazu-no-ike, Tokyo )
Pale Thrush ( winter )
Dusky Thrush ( winter )
Red-flanked Bluetail ( winter )
Daurian Redstart ( winter )
Black-faced ( Masked ) Bunting ( winter )

 

[crazyfingers]

I had one day to do some birding in Feb/March this year. In a Tokyo city nature park as well as some hotel gardens as well as a few canals. These are the birds I photographed. I have to assume they are common. The bold ones are everywhere!

Azure Winged Magpie
Black-Eared Kite
Brown Eared Bulbul
Bull Headed Shrike
Common Eurasian Teal
Common Pochard Female
Common Pochard Male
Eastern Great Tit
Eastern Spot-Billed Duck
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Great Cormorant
Great Egret
Hawfinch
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
Japanese White-Eye
Jungle Crow
Little Egret
Long Tailed Tit
Northern Pintail
Rock Dove (Pigeon)
Tufted Duck
Turtle Dove
Varied Tit
White-Cheeked Starling

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thanks Alex, Chris & "crazyfingers"!

Anyone else feel like giving it a try?

Or have any objections or alternate suggestions?

Like I wrote; the more lists the better!

 

[chris butterworth]

Just a few more ( of the more obvious birds ). Olive-backed Pipit, Japanese Grosbeak and Elegant Bunting in the winter ( Grey Bunting as well, but they tend to be super-secretive ). Blue+White , Asian Brown and Narcissus Flycatcher can be widespread in parks and shrines during migration. Blue ( Red-bellied ) Rock Thrush are almost ubiquitous in urban coastal areas.

 

[stuartelsom]

'Eastern' Rook can be quite numerous in roadside fields in Kyushu - I know that from ploughing through what seemed like millions when we were trying to find Daurian Jackdaw...

 

[dalat]

Can't really contribute to that collection of common birds of China, Japan and Korea. But curious what you have in mind with these collections?

Cheers, Florian

 

[Alexjh1]

I feel slightly embarrassed that despite spending 3 weeks there at opposite sides of the year for maximum coverage, there are about ten species mentioned here that I missed entirely on my trips.

Also worth noting is that although not relevant to your central Honshu cities bit, because Japan is such a geographically long country, the common birds of Hokkaido are different to the common birds of Honshu, and I would imagine Okinawa to be the same. For instance, the most numerous bird in Kushiro when I visited would have been Slaty-backed Gull.

 

[cassowary]

Anyone else feel like giving it a try?

Or have any objections or alternate suggestions?

Like I wrote; the more lists the better!

Sticking to your original request - (most people have answered your request with what a birder would likely see) there really aren't many common birds in Tokyo at all. I have recently returned from a 6 week work trip to Tokyo and just walking to and from work etc for the first week I managed only 4 species and even managed to miss tree sparrow. The only species I would put down under your criteria for Tokyo are:

Brown Eared Bulbul
Japanese Tit
Eastern Spot-Billed Duck
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Great Cormorant
Large billed Crow
Rock Dove (Pigeon)
Turtle Dove

Mandarin duck is very local and seasonal in Tokyo, White wagtail is fairly common around Tokyo but Japanese wagtail isn't, varied tit is fairly common but it tends to be far less visible than Japanese tit

You'll find all the other species mentioned in the other posts and more without too much difficulty (if you are birding)

this link might be helpful but remember that it is populated by birders:

http://goo.gl/Tz1PNt

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Thanks everybody!

Your replies have been of great help.

I will try to conclude a little list, of twenty, in a couple of weeks.

Hopefully it will end up as a little folder or booklet raising awareness of birds (among non-birders) in Japan.

Anyone else have any additions or remarks?

Björn

 

[Björn Bergenholtz]

Long overdue I have to inform you that my promised short list of Common Birds in Japan have been cancelled. I´ve now realized that I neither have the time nor the full knowledge to compile such list, not in a fully truthful, relevant and accurate way.

In any case, I´m very grateful for your help, in this my failed attempt.

THANKS!

Björn

PS. Please feel free to do one yourself. And then circulate it! Every contribution to increase awareness on birds in Japan (for a large public) is surely needed.