Tokyo Airport Birds? (1 Viewer)

[Michael W]

We're going on a 2-week mission trip to the Philippines during the last half of March. On both the going and coming back flights, we go through Tokyo, Japan. Fortunately, it will be daylight, and we have 2 or 3 hours. Although we won't leave the airport, I'm sure I'll see something there. I'm pretty excited!

So, my question is: What birds do I have a change of seeing both on the runway and from the airport? I'd like to know most of the possibilities, so that I don't have to buy a Japan guide. If I know the names of the "common" birds for that habitat, I can study up on them on the internet. I've had the Philippine bird book for quite a while, and am studying up on them quite a bit so that I will have a headstart when we get there.

Thanks in advance for any information you can give me! :t:

Michael

 

[mike coleman]

Hi Michael - I hope the following list is a pretty comprehensive list of all Narita possibilities (apologies for the lack of scientific names - if you need them, let me know!):

Great Cormorant
Vega Gull
Black-headed Gull
Mew Gull
Little Egret
Great White Egret
Grey Heron
Black-eared Kite
Eurasian Kestrel
Rufous Turtle Dove
Feral Pigeon
Black-backed Wagtail (White Wagtail)
Dusky Thrush
Oriental Greenfinch
Tree Sparrow
Gray Starling
Carrion Crow
Large-billed Crow

 

[Michael W]

Thank you very much, Mike, for that list! I've looked at those species, and I have some questions for somebody. I've listed your name, and then another. Are they the same species, just different names?

Vega Gull -- East Siberian Gull?
Black-eared Kite -- Black Kite?
Rufous Turtle Dove -- Oriental Turtle-Dove?
Feral Pigeon -- Rock Pigeon (Dove)?
Gray Starling -- White-cheeked Starling?

Again, thank you! Does anyone else have any to add to that list?

Also, is there another possible Kite to study so I know the differences. Are there other Wagtails to know? Is the identification mark of the two crows the bill size?

Thanks again,
Michael

 

[mike coleman]

Hi Michael

All my names and your names are the same species (Vega Gull is also an old Herring Gull subspecies)............ there are no other kites around, and Black-eared Kite is a bit of a longshot, but hey, you never know, they're not far away................ there are no other wagtails that would feasibly be around the airport, although Japan as a country has quite a few nice ones...........and the Large-billed Crow (old subspecies of Jungle Crow) does have a larger bill than Carrion, and on the whole is a bit larger (2-3 inches) than Carrion as well.

Hope this helps!

 

[mike coleman]

No idea how I missed these off the list, but

Brown-eared Bulbul (very common)
Azure-winged Magpie (slightly less common, but you never know)

I'll probably think of some other missing stuff soon too.................

 

[Steve]

There is a farm (small holding ) smack in the middle of Narita in between the Runways It is the result of a farmer refusing to move when the Airport was expanded. His land and fields used to attract a few birds but obviously as traffic has built up over the years,it was deemed a danger and bird scarers are employed hourly. Apart from that Narita is the most boring place on the planet, there is an old temple in the town centre where there is a large pond (I got attacked by a herd of geese here) you may have time to get there. If your hanging around the Terminal you will only see a few sparrows. Narita is miles away from the city it serves (Tokyo) at least three hours by train.

 

[Michael W]

Thank you both! Steve, I'll see if we have time to get to that pond. And thanks for all that info on the airport area.

Michael