JAPAN SPECIALITIES TOUR REPORT 2025

22 May - 7 June 2025

Dave Farrow

The Birdquest Japan Specialities tour this year was a splendid trip and a very successful one, covering more islands of the Japanese archipelago than on any previous tours in our search for their endemics and specialities. We visited Honshu, Miyakejima, Amami Oshima, had a brief transit on Yoron, Ishigakijima, Iriomote, Okinawa and Hokkaido. The birding was great, we enjoyed good weather for the most part, added several birds to the list and saw some great mammals. A notable addition to the Birdquest list was the unassuming Iriomote Tit, this being the first time we have reached the island of Iriomote. Other highlights were Japanese Yellow Bunting, Japanese Thrush and Japanese Accentor on Honshu, on Miyakejima we saw Izu Thrush, Izu Robin, Owston’s Tit, Ijima’s Leaf Warbler and Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler. Our next stop was Amami Oshima where we had great looks at Amami Woodcock, found Amami Thrush on a nest, Lidth’s Jays, Ryukyu Robins and Amami Woodpecker. On Ishigakijima we saw Ryukyu Serpent Eagle and Malayan Night Herons, and on Okinawa we saw the eponymous Rail, Robin, and Woodpecker, plus the local form of Japanese Scops Owl. On Hokkaido we found Latham’s Snipe, Sakhalin Grasshopper and Leaf Warblers, Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warbler, Japanese Robin and Grey Bunting. Mammals made a good showing with Japanese Raccoon Dog, Amami Black Rabbit, Sea Otter, Baird’s Beaked Whales, Killer Whales and Brown Bear all recorded.

Our tour began in Narita where we assembled ready for the road ahead. On our first morning after a fairly short drive from our hotel we found ourselves alongside the Tonegawa river, lined with reed beds and scrubby grass. Before long we could hear the stuttering songs of Marsh Grassbirds, and were able to find a good number of them here. At times it seemed like there was one every 50m along the bank along which we walked, ascending in songflights in the fresh breeze, and showing nicely. Also here were many Zitting Cisticola, Oriental Reed Warblers, Eastern Marsh Harrier, plenty of Grey Herons and  some breeding plumage Medium Egrets, and eventually we found the black-headed Japanese Reed (or Ochre-rumped) Buntings sat singing high on tall reeds. Also we saw Black-crowned Night Herons, White-cheeked Starlings, Meadow Bunting, while a Eurasian Bittern boomed from the depths of the reedbed. We then began a long drive across the Kanto plain (via some tiresome diversions) to reach the Karuizawa area. We spent much of the afternoon at an area of reedy fields where numerous bold cock Green Pheasant strutted about, Chestnut-eared Buntings sang from prominent perches, plus some fine Black-browed Reed Warblers, Amur Stonechats, dapper Chestnut-cheeked Starlings, a family of Japanese Wagtails, and some Oriental Greenfinches. Our hotel was in a pleasant setting among the woods at Karuizawa, though with a delinquent Japanese Macaque hogging the bird feeder!

We set out to find the special birds of the area on a rather dim morning, starting with a vocal Eastern Crowned Warbler, a fine male Narcissus Flycatcher dazzling us with its colours, plus Siberian Blue Robin, Japanese Green Woodpecker, White-bellied Green Pigeon, Lesser Cuckoo, some treetop Japanese Grosbeaks, and an unseen male Copper Pheasant making a loud wing whirr from deep in the forest. In a different area we saw Blue-and-White Flycatcher, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker and eventually a Yellow Bunting that showed well after a long search. In the afternoon we headed to higher elevations, up into the mountains to 2000m where despite rain we found a pair of Brown headed Thrush, Japanese Leaf Warbler, Grey-bellied Bullfinch, Willow and Coal Tits. A pair of Daurian Redstart were attending a nest in a small building, an unusual sight on this tour.

Further explorations of Karuizawa the next morning began with excellent views of a Japanese Thrush singing from the top of a conifer. We also found Japanese Green Woodpecker, Brown Dipper, Blue-and-White Flycatcher, and for a lucky few a female Copper Pheasant that sneaked away into the forest. Close to our hotel an Asian Stubtail sang from the undergrowth and eventually emerged into the open. En route to our next destination, at a stop by the Chikuma river we saw Japanese Wagtails, Goosander, ground-nesting Grey Herons and tree-nesting Great Cormorants, plus numerous Black-crowned Night Herons. Travelling through some impressive mountain scenery we reached our destination of Mount Fuji in the afternoon, and had a good couple of hours of birding high among the dwarf trees of the upper treeline. Our main quarry here, Japanese Accentor, appeared close by and showed very well, as did Red-flanked Bluetail males that sang from stunted conifer tops. A bright and chunky Japanese Leaf Warbler made an appearance, we saw Grey-bellied Bullfinch at a drinking pool, and Northern Nutcracker appeared in the car park.

We had another half day around this iconic mountain, and in the early morning we made our way up the eastern side finding song-flighting Olive-backed Pipits, Japanese Leaf Warblers with their rattling songs, Eurasian Jay of the pale-eyed japonicus race, Eurasian Treecreepers that sound very unlike European birds, and a Japanese Raccoon Dog posed briefly at the roadside. Later on we explored the south side of the mountain, finding smart Japanese Grosbeaks in the cherry trees, Eurasian Nuthatch, a surprise Ryukyu Minivet, and at our highest elevation of 2450m we found a quartet of Japanese Accentors singing among the stunted treeline vegetation. Dropping back down to the surrounding lowlands we explored a couple of temple groves where we searched unsuccessfully for Ural Owl, but the ancient Japanese Cedar goliaths made the visit memorable. Then it was time to head for Tokyo, where after dropping our vehicles we had the experience of taking a train  from Shinagawa station in the middle of rush hour (er, tenth busiest in the world!), later boarding our overnight ferry out to the Izu Islands.

Arriving at dawn at Miyakejima, we made our way ashore in the rain, and after some breakfast at our hotel headed out to find the island’s birds. Our first stop was in the scrubby coastal strip where we found Styan’s Grasshopper Warblers singing atop the bushes, and Black Wood Pigeons sat bathing in the rain on open branches. Also we found our first Izu Thrushes and Pacific Swifts, while offshore tens of thousands of Streaked Shearwaters swarmed over the sea. In the remnant woods around a crater lake we saw Izu Robins, Ijima’s Leaf Warblers, Izu Thrushes and Owston’s Tit, and had secured all of the endemic birds before 8am! The rain perhaps helped, although activity dropped off as it got heavier. Exploring further we saw Lesser Cuckoo, and over the sea a Black-footed Albatross. In the afternoon we repeated our visits to the woods around Tairo Ike, where a collection of Great, Eastern Cattle and Little Egrets were joined by a Black-crowned Night Heron, and Northern Boobook was heard calling from the big trees. In the evening the hotel produced some world-class maguro and bonito sashimi, the likes of which are rarely encountered.

Next morning we headed out to see what more we could find on this pleasant island. On the exposed side of the island we met the storm hitting the rocky coast in spectacular fashion, and three Brown Booby flew past along with the legions of Streaked Shearwaters that were still streaming past. We checked for migrants around the grassy airstrip and found ten Oriental Pratincoles, a Pacific Golden Plover and more Eastern Cattle Egrets, and back in the woods we managed to improve on our views of key birds such as Izu Thrush and Izu Robin. After a final lunch here we then boarded the ferry back to Tokyo. Strong winds from the north-east were suboptimal conditions for producing unusual seabirds, but apart from seeing what seemed like most of the world’s Streaked Shearwaters, we also saw Short-tailed Shearwaters, and closer to Tokyo Bay a few Black-footed Albatross began to appear, plus a single Laysan Albatross, plus two pods of Short-finned Pilot Whales, and a trio of Baird’s Beaked Whales that initially confused us, until the photos helped confirm their identity.

After a comfortable night in Tokyo we took a flight from Haneda down to the forest clad island of Amami Oshima in the Ryukyu chain. Picking up new cars and venturing out into a rainy afternoon, we started our island birding at a small forest park where we found Ryukyu Robin singing beautifully, some furtive Lidth’s Jays, and a trio of dusky Amami Woodpeckers. Also we found bulky Ryukyu Green Pigeons sitting on wires, Varied Tit, and Pacific Reef Heron. A night drive is necessary to find the most exciting birds here, and later on we headed out along forest lanes in the drizzle to see what we could find. It wasn’t long before we found an Amami Woodcock sat in the middle of the road, and before the night was out we had stunning views of six of these iconic birds. It turned out to be a busy night, with two Ruddy Kingfishers found at roost, showing the purple bloom on their plumage to good effect, six Lidth’s Jays trying to get some sleep on wires over the road, and an Amami Thrush high on a wire. Many Ryukyu Scops Owls could be heard along the way, and mammals featured strongly with a gerbil-like Amami Spiny Rat, a Ryukyu Long-tailed Tree Rat walking the tightrope, and an Amami Black Rabbit lurking in the roadside vegetation. The next morning we walked a track in the damp forest, finding Ryukyu Flycatcher, Black Paradise Flycatcher, and an amazing nest of Amami Thrush made out of moss, with the parent sat incubating with its head and tail visible. In the afternoon we continued forest birding, enjoying better views of Black Paradise Flycatcher, more Lidth’s Jays, Ryukyu Robin and a daytime calling Ryukyu Scops Owl that was eventually located sitting among the dense branches.

A day of mostly travelling followed, but not until we had spent a productive hour at a beach close to Amami airport where we found Black-faced Spoonbills, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Terek Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Little Tern, Osprey and Pacific Reef Herons of both colour forms. We flew from here via the tiny island of Yoron to Naha, Okinawa, then after a lengthy wait we continued onwards to Ishigakijima. As we drove from Ishigaki airport towards town we added two write-ins for the tour, Black-winged Kite and Common Myna, both recent colonists, plus many of the osai form of Large-billed Crow.

The next day we were off to terra nova, with the early ferry to Iriomote island. After a swift crossing we were ashore on this new destination, and after getting our rental cars we set off for a short drive to the start of the ‘Cross Island Trail’. We walked through the dense jungle, and then after about an hour we heard what we were searching for, the thin song of the Iriomote Tit. Eventually we were rewarded with views of an adult and juvenile, they stayed mostly in the treetops offering plenty of ventral views, and after a while we all had decent looks at this unassuming fellow. We then realised we could return on an earlier ferry, so we headed back to the port, where we saw many Little Terns, Greater and Siberian Sand Plovers, and on our rapid ride back to Ishigaki we saw a Bulwer’s Petrel and a few Black-naped Terns. Once ashore on Ishigaki we headed into the interior, and Otani spotted a Ryukyu Serpent Eagle perched by the roadside which caused some freestyle parking on a bend. Further on we saw Greater Crested and Whiskered Terns, many Eurasian Whimbrels and Pacific Reef Herons. Our time spent in the forests was less productive as the weather deteriorated, although a Ryukyu Scops Owl came to say hello at close range. Several Northern Boobooks could be heard but none would break cover.

An early session the next morning took us to a small patch of dense woodland where Northern Boobooks were flying up and down the lane chasing each other, although perched views were a little more fleeting. We had a flight view of a Malayan Night Heron as we disturbed it from its perch, while another three lurked in the dense thicket and did their best to avoid us. Another roosting Ryukyu Scops Owl showed well in the open. Further explorations across paddy fields produced Black-winged Stilts and Cinnamon Bitterns, and we found a very confiding immature Ryukyu Serpent Eagle hunting along the edge of the fields. Along a hot beach en route to the airport we saw two Chinese Egrets alongside Little and pacific Reef Egrets for a handy comparison, and Black-naped and Roseate Terns that swarmed around rocky islands in the bay.

We flew onwards to Naha on Okinawa, and then drove to the north end of the island to our lodgings at Ada among the forests of Yambaru National Park. A night drive proved to be rather quiet apart from a Northern Boobook on a wire, but back at our hotel we found a confiding Ryukyu Scops Owl, and our first Okinawa Rail, with a pair roosting in a tree.

In the early morning we drove the lanes until we found Okinawa Rails walking on the roadsides, looking cautious about their jaywalking as big trucks whizzed past. We also saw our first Okinawa Robin in the half light, and an Okinawa Woodpecker showed well in some roadside pine trees. Further explorations took us in to the interior of the forested peninsula, and along jungle lanes we had some great views of more Okinawa Robins, Black Paradise Flycatcher and a showy Japanese Bush Warbler. For a change of scenery we checked some Iris fields where we saw Cinnamon Bittern, Light-vented Bulbuls and Zitting Cisticolas. Returning to the village of Ada we had great views of another Okinawa Rail along the roadside. Our second night drive was eventually successful, with a great close view of a fat Japanese Scops Owl, glaring at us with his red eyes.

Departing as the rain arrived, we headed back to Naha, flew to Haneda and then onwards to Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido. Arriving in the evening, it was a short hop to our hotel where we enjoyed perhaps the best dinner of the tour.

The sun rises very early here, being further north and east without any time zone change. The surroundings of our hotel among the woods provided our first birds, with a cheery Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler that sang loudly from the lush vegetation, showing quite well as it shot around in the trees. Our first Latham’s Snipe was displaying overhead, and along the roadside we found our first Red-crowned Cranes standing in the mist. In the forests we found Eastern Crowned Warblers, Brown-headed Thrush, Oriental Cuckoo, White-backed and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Eurasian Woodcock, and a Black Woodpecker showed well on several occasions. Back at our hotel we had a good look at Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, before we began heading towards the coast. We explored a boardwalk along the margins of Kushiro marsh where we found Russet Sparrow, Eastern Marsh Harrier and our first White-tailed Eagle, plus Amur Stonechats and Masked Buntings. Pressing onwards, at the east coast we found a busy flock of Greater Scaup and Japanese Cormorants, plus Black Scoters, a couple of distant Stejneger’s Scoter, and many Slaty-backed and Black-tailed Gulls. We visited a small grassland reserve where we found gorgeous pink Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinches, a skulking Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warbler, and sweet sounding Black-browed Reed Warblers. We had an appointment with an early dinner at the fabled minshuku Washi No Yado at Rausu, and at dusk we settled into our viewing positions overlooking the stream outside, waiting for the Blakiston’s Fish Owl to appear. As night fell slowly over the valley, we soon heard the deep booming call of the Owl, just before it swooped down to the stream to collect its supper. Soon after, a second bird came to do the same, and between us we were fortunate enough to see it visit at least three more times during the evening.

Another fine morning followed, and we scanned the sea from an elevated watchpoint looking across the straits to the Russians occupied islands. We saw two groups of Killer Whales out on the ocean plus a pod of Pacific White-sided Dolphin, thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters, several Pacific Divers, and many Rhinoceros Auklets. After breakfast we headed up on to the Shiretoko Pass at 780m, here we had a glimpse of a Brown Bear as it walked through the pine scrub, plus some gorgeous Grey-bellied Bullfinches. Lower down we chased singing Grey Buntings, and had a great look at a Japanese Robin singing in a birch tree. We then drove across the island to Kiritappu marsh on the south coast, where alas we met with strong winds. This unfortunately kept the Warblers down, with Lanceolated Warblers only heard and Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warblers playing hard to get, but we had good looks at Siberian Rubythroat and more Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinches. The wind did not bother numerous Latham’s Snipe, they entertained us as they flew around in display flights or sat on posts making their strange squawking noises. Our last night of the tour was in Nemuro town, and the next morning we visited some nearby mixed habitat where we saw a pair of Red-crowned Cranes with a fluffy yellow long-legged chick, many Black-tailed Gulls washing in a lake, and Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warblers that posed in the open. Latham’s Snipe displayed overhead, Masked Buntings and our only Asian Red-rumped Swallows of the tour sat on the wires. After breakfast we heard that our Ochiishi boat trip was cancelled due to the strong winds, so we headed for Cape Nosappu. Sea fog was thick over the ocean, but a sleepy Sea Otter lounging on the surface close inshore was pleasing to all. Exploring the harbours along the coast produced many Japanese Cormorants and some Rhinoceros Auklets offshore, and two splendid Siberian Rubythroats sang from a bank covered in impressive Giant Butterbur. Then it was time to head for Kushiro airport, though with a little time to spare we explored the woods close by and were surprised to see a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, a Japan lifer for the leader! And so our tour ended, and we flew back to Tokyo. A remarkable journey that visited eight different islands; Honshu, Miyakejima, Amami Oshima, Yoron (blink and you miss it!) Ishigakijima, Iriomote, Okinawa and Hokkaido. We did very well with almost all of our targets, enjoyed good weather for the most part, added several birds to the list, and saw some great mammals.

Top Five ‘Birds of the Trip’.

1) Blakiston’s Fish Owl

2) Okinawa Rail

3) Ryukyu Robin

4) Amami Woodcock

5) Red-crowned Crane

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR 

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follow Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P. (Eds). 2024 IOC World Bird List (v14.2).

Mandarin Duck ◊  Aix galericulata  Non-leader.

Northern Shoveler  Spatula clypeata  Seen at Omigawa.

Eastern Spot-billed Duck (Chinese S-b D)  Anas zonorhyncha

Mallard  Anas platyrhynchos

Tufted Duck  Aythya fuligula

Greater Scaup  Aythya marila  An impressive flock feeding off the waterfront at Shibetsu.

Harlequin Duck ◊  Histrionicus histrionicus  Smart males in the surf at Cape Nosappu.

Stejneger’s Scoter ◊  Melanitta stejnegeri  Two seen at Shibetsu.

Black Scoter ◊  Melanitta americana

Common Merganser (Goosander)  Mergus merganser

Red-breasted Merganser  Mergus serrator  A single bird in Hanasaki harbour.

Copper Pheasant ◊  Syrmaticus soemmerringii  A brief female at Karuizawa for Otani’s car.

Common Pheasant (introduced)  Phasianus colchicus  Ishigakijima.

Green Pheasant ◊  Phasianus versicolor  Some fine examples near Karuizawa.

Indian Peafowl (introduced)  Pavo cristatus  Heard-only.

Chinese Bamboo Partridge (introduced)  Bambusicola thoracicus  Heard-only.

White-throated Needletail ◊  Hirundapus caudacutus  Superb examples seen near Kushiro.

Pacific Swift  Apus pacificus

House Swift  Apus nipalensis  Two seen on Amami Oshima.

Asian Koel  Eudynamys scolopaceus  Heard-only, on Ishigakijima.

Northern Hawk-Cuckoo ◊ (Rufous H C)  Hierococcyx hyperythrus  Heard-only.

Lesser Cuckoo ◊  Cuculus poliocephalus

Oriental Cuckoo ◊  Cuculus optatus

Common Cuckoo (Eurasian C)  Cuculus canorus

Rock Dove (introduced) (Feral P)  Columba [livia] var_domestica

Black Wood Pigeon ◊ (Japanese W P)  Columba janthina  Good views and many sightings on Miyakejima.

Oriental Turtle Dove  Streptopelia orientalis

Common Emerald Dove  Chalcophaps indica  Heard-only. 

White-bellied Green Pigeon ◊ (Japanese G P)  Treron sieboldii  One seen well at Karuizawa, several in the forest at Akan on Hokkaido.

Ryukyu Green Pigeon ◊  Treron permagnus  Good views on Amami, also on Iriomote.

Okinawa Rail ◊  Hypotaenidia okinawae  Our first were roosting birds close to our hotel, then during the course of the following day we saw at least 12 birds, with good views at the roadside.

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Eurasian Coot (Common C)  Fulica atra

Slaty-legged Crake ◊  Rallina eurizonoides  Heard-only.

Watercock  Gallicrex cinerea  A glimpse of one on Ishigaki.

White-breasted Waterhen  Amaurornis phoenicurus

Red-crowned Crane ◊  Grus japonensis  Lovely examples seen on Hokkaido, including a pair with a fluffy yellow chick

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus  Two on wet paddies on Ishigakijima.

Grey Plover  Pluvialis squatarola

Pacific Golden Plover  Pluvialis fulva  A single on Miyakejima.

Little Ringed Plover  Charadrius dubius  A single on a beach at Hanasaki

Siberian Sand Plover  Anarhynchus mongolus  A handful stood on a pier on Iriomote.

Greater Sand Plover  Anarhynchus leschenaultii  Three stood with the above

Eurasian Whimbrel  Numenius phaeopus A good number on Ishigakijima, singles on Amami and at Omigawa.

Eurasian Curlew  Numenius arquata  One at Oze beach, Amami Oshima.

Bar-tailed Godwit  Limosa lapponica   Singles on Amami and Ishigakijima.

Eurasian Woodcock  Scolopax rusticola  One flushed at Akan, two roding over Washi No Yado.

Amami Woodcock ◊  Scolopax mira  Fantastic views on our first night on Amami Oshima, with at least six seen.

Latham’s Snipe ◊ (Japanese S)  Gallinago hardwickii  Some great encounters on Hokkaido, with both perched birds and ones in aerial display.

Terek Sandpiper  Xenus cinereus  Two at Oze beach, Amami Oshima

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos

Grey-tailed Tattler ◊  Tringa brevipes  Several seen on Amami Oshima and Ishigakijima.

Ruddy Turnstone  Arenaria interpres  A flock of 12 on the rocks at Oze beach.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper  Calidris acuminata  Two distant birds roosting on rocks at Oze beach.

Oriental Pratincole  Glareola maldivarum  A flock of ten were on the short grass on Miyakejima airstrip.

Little Tern (Eastern L T)  Sternula [albifrons] sinensis

Gull-billed Tern  Gelochelidon nilotica  Non-leader.

Whiskered Tern  Chlidonias hybrida  A small number on Ishigakijima.

Black-naped Tern  Sterna sumatrana  Some lovely examples seen on Ishigakijima and in the seas around there.

Roseate Tern  Sterna dougallii  A colony on rocky islands on Ishigakijima.

Greater Crested Tern  Thalasseus bergii  Six or so seen on Ishigakijima.

Black-headed Gull  Chroicocephalus ridibundus Non-leader.

Black-tailed Gull ◊  Larus crassirostris  Umi Neko, the ‘Sea Cat’

Slaty-backed Gull ◊  Larus schistisagus

Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua)  Stercorarius parasiticus  A single flew by at Shibetsu.

Rhinoceros Auklet ◊  Cerorhinca monocerata  In good numbers off the Hokkaido coasts.

Red-throated Loon (R-t Diver)  Gavia stellata  One seen off the east coast.

Pacific Loon ◊ (P Diver)  Gavia pacifica  Several seen off Rausu including two on the water.

Laysan Albatross ◊  Phoebastria immutabilis  A single from the Izu ferry.

Black-footed Albatross ◊  Phoebastria nigripes  At least 12 seen from the Izu ferry.

Streaked Shearwater ◊  Calonectris leucomelas  Countless thousands around Miyakejima and from the Izu ferry.

Sooty Shearwater  Ardenna grisea  Non-leader.

Short-tailed Shearwater ◊  Ardenna tenuirostris  A handful seen from the Izu ferry and thousands seen from shore off Rausu.

Bulwer’s Petrel ◊  Bulweria bulwerii  Two seen from the ferry between Ishigaki and Iriomote.

Brown Booby  Sula leucogaster  Four seen from shore on Miyakejima.

Pelagic Cormorant ◊  Urile pelagicus  Just a couple seen on Hokkaido.

Japanese Cormorant ◊  Phalacrocorax capillatus  Good numbers seen around the Hokkaido coast, at Shibetsu and at Hanasaki harbour.

Great Cormorant  Phalacrocorax carbo

Black-faced Spoonbill ◊  Platalea minor  Two on the beach at Oze.

Eurasian Bittern ◊  Botaurus stellaris  Heard-only, at Omigawa.

Cinnamon Bittern  Botaurus cinnamomeus  Several birds seen around the paddy fields of Ishigakijima.

Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax

Malayan Night Heron ◊  Gorsachius melanolophus  An immature on Ishigakijima seen in the open briefly, then hiding in the thicket were another three that didn’t show well.

Pacific Reef Heron  Egretta sacra  Plenty in the islands, both white and grey birds available.

Chinese Egret ◊ (Swinhoe’s E)  Egretta eulophotes  Two on the rocks at Ohama beach on Ishigakijima.

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Chinese Pond Heron  Ardeola bacchus  One in the fields at Ada village on Okinawa was a surprise.

Great Egret (Eastern G E)  Ardea [alba] modesta

Medium Egret  Ardea intermedia  Breeding plumage birds seen well at Omigawa, a couple also on Ishigakijima.

Eastern Cattle Egret  Ardea coromanda

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea  Seen on Ishigaki and Iriomote.

Osprey (Western O)  Pandion [haliaetus] haliaetus

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus  Three seen on Ishigakijima, a recent colonists and a write-ins for the tour.

Crested Honey Buzzard (Oriental H B)  Pernis [ptilorhynchus] orientalis  Non-leader.

Ryukyu Serpent Eagle ◊ (Crested S E)  Spilornis [cheela] perplexus  Split or not, we had excellent and very close views of both adult and immature on Ishigakijima.

Japanese Sparrowhawk ◊  Tachyspiza gularis  Non-leader.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk  Accipiter nisus  A single near Nemuro.

Eastern Marsh Harrier  Circus spilonotus  A couple seen at Omigawa, and also at Kushiro marsh.

Black Kite (Black-eared K)  Milvus [migrans] lineatus

White-tailed Eagle  Haliaeetus albicilla  Fairly numerous on Hokkaido.

Eastern Buzzard ◊ (Japanese B)  Buteo [japonicus] japonicus

Northern Boobook ◊  Ninox japonica  At least four birds flying about in the early morning on Ishigakijima, then a couple seen on night drives on Okinawa.

Ryukyu Scops Owl ◊  Otus elegans  Seen in daytime on Amami Oshima and on Ishigakijima, and by night on Okinawa. 

Japanese Scops Owl ◊ (Pryer’s S O)  Otus [semitorques] pryeri  A great close view of one of these red-eyed beasts on Okinawa.

Blakiston’s Fish Owl ◊  Ketupa blakistoni  A good show at Washi No Yado, with the first visit at 1945, followed by a second bird, then a third visit half an hour later. Voted as our ‘Bird-of-the-trip’.

Ruddy Kingfisher ◊  Halcyon coromanda  Great looks at two birds at roost on Amami Oshima, showing their purple bloom in the torch light, also another two seen very well in the daytime. Also seen on Ishigaki and Okinawa.

Common Kingfisher  Alcedo atthis

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker ◊  Yungipicus kizuki  Not uncommon with multiple sightings.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker  Dryobates minor  An unexpected thrill at Akan at the very end of the tour, a male flew in and gave some views before continuing on its way. A Japan lifer for the leader! 

Great Spotted Woodpecker  Dendrocopos major

Okinawa Woodpecker ◊ (Pryer’s W)  Dendrocopos noguchii  A great look at one near Ada, plus a few glimpses of other birds in the forests around there.

White-backed Woodpecker  Dendrocopos leucotos  A surprise find of a drumming male in the woods at Akan.

White-backed Woodpecker ◊ (Owston’s W, Amami W)  Dendrocopos [leucotos] owstoni  Three birds together put ona  good show at ‘Amami Natural Forest Park’.

Black Woodpecker  Dryocopus martius  Two birds showed well in the forest at Akan.

Japanese Green Woodpecker ◊  Picus awokera  Just two seen, both at Karuizawa.

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus

Eurasian Hobby  Falco subbuteo  A single seen en route from Kushiro.

Ashy Minivet ◊  Pericrocotus divaricatus  Several seen well in the Karuizawa area.

Ryukyu Minivet ◊  Pericrocotus tegimae  A surprise one in a village at Mt Fuji, then commonly on Amami, also on Okinawa and Iriomote.

Black Paradise Flycatcher ◊ (Japanese P F)  Terpsiphone atrocaudata  Great views on Okinawa, also on Amami and Ishigakijima.

Bull-headed Shrike ◊  Lanius bucephalus

Eurasian Jay  Garrulus glandarius  Good views of the japonica subspecies on Mt Fuji.

Lidth’s Jay ◊ (Ryukyu J)  Garrulus lidthi  A few seen in the forests on Amami Oshima, and six birds seen roosting on roadside wires during our night drive there.

Azure-winged Magpie ◊ (Asian A-w M)  Cyanopica cyanus  A single from the car en route to Karuizawa.

Northern Nutcracker  Nucifraga caryocatactes One seen well on Mt Fuji.

Carrion Crow ◊ (Oriental C)  Corvus [corone] orientalis

Large-billed Crow  Corvus macrorhynchos

Large-billed Crow ◊ (Ishigaki C)  Corvus [macrorhynchos] osai

Coal Tit  Periparus ater

Varied Tit ◊ (Japanese V T)  Sittiparus varius

Owston’s Tit ◊ (Izu T)  Sittiparus owstoni  A few seen on Miyakejima, but always a bit shy.

Iriomote Tit  Sittiparus olivaceus  The focus of our visit to Iriomote, we were incredibly fortunate to find this after just one hour along a forest trail, though they stayed up in the tops of the trees. A Birdquest lifer.

Marsh Tit  Poecile palustris  A couple at Rausu.

Willow Tit  Poecile montanus  Seen around Karuizawa.

Cinereous Tit (Japanese T)  Parus [cinereus] minor

Cinereous Tit ◊ (Ishigaki T)  Parus [cinereus] nigriloris  Three seen, and only on Iriomote.

Eurasian Skylark ◊ (Japanese S)  Alauda [arvensis] japonica

Brown-eared Bulbul ◊  Hypsipetes amaurotis

Light-vented Bulbul ◊ (Chinese B)  Pycnonotus sinensis  Common on Ishigakijima, also a few seen on Okinawa.

Sand Martin  Riparia riparia

Pacific Swallow  Hirundo javanica  The default Swallow in the Ryukyu islands.

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica

Asian House Martin  Delichon dasypus

Eastern Red-rumped Swallow  Cecropis daurica  Three on our last morning near Nemuro.

Japanese Bush Warbler ◊  Horornis diphone

Asian Stubtail ◊  Urosphena squameiceps  One showed very well to us all at Karuizawa.

Long-tailed Tit  Aegithalos caudatus

Eastern Crowned Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus coronatus

Ijima’s Leaf Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus ijimae  Plenty seen and heard in the woods on Miyakejima.

Sakhalin Leaf Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus borealoides Great looks at a singing bird by our Kushiro hotel, other encounters were more fleeting.

Japanese Leaf Warbler ◊  Phylloscopus xanthodryas  Many heard on Mt Fuji with excellent views there, also seen at Takaminekogen.

Oriental Reed Warbler  Acrocephalus orientalis

Black-browed Reed Warbler  Acrocephalus bistrigiceps  Two near Karuizawa, then commonly on Hokkaido.

Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler ◊  Helopsaltes amnicola  A great first morning on Hokkaido, with good looks at this noisy chap just outside our Kushiro hotel.

Marsh Grassbird ◊  Helopsaltes pryeri  Many seen at Omigawa on our fiirst morning, with birds making repeated songflights over the marsh.

Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler ◊  Helopsaltes ochotensis  After a slow start, we found these quite commonly in eastern Hokkaido, with progressively better views.

Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler ◊  Helopsaltes pleskei  Great looks at these fellows sitting up in the scrub on Miyakejima.

Lanceolated Warbler ◊  Locustella lanceolata  Heard-only, at Kiritappu and Akan.

Zitting Cisticola  Cisticola juncidis

Warbling White-eye ◊ (Japanese W)  Zosterops [japonicus] japonicus

Red-billed Leiothrix (introduced)  Leiothrix lutea

Chinese Hwamei (introduced)  Garrulax canorus  A single while en route to Karuizawa.

Eurasian Wren  Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch  Sitta europaea

Eurasian Treecreeper  Certhia familiaris  Some good looks on Mt Fuji of the japonica subspecies which of course sounds completely different to other Eurasian Treecreepers!

Common Myna  Acridotheres tristis  Another new colonist of Ishigakijima, quite a few near the airport.

White-cheeked Starling ◊  Spodiopsar cineraceus

Chestnut-cheeked Starling ◊  Agropsar philippensis  We saw a few near to Karuizawa, and not again until driving back to Kushiro.

White’s Thrush ◊  Zoothera aurea  Heard-only. The song, a monotone whistle, heard at Akan.

Amami Thrush ◊  Zoothera major  After the success of our night drive when we saw one roosting on a high wire, it was just amazing to actually find an active nest with the bird sat on it! You lucky people!

Japanese Thrush ◊  Turdus cardis  A great view of a bird at Karuizawa, also seen at Akan and Kushiro marsh.

Brown-headed Thrush ◊  Turdus chrysolaus  First encounters at Takaminekogen, also seen at Mt Fuji, Shiretoko and Akan on Hokkaido.

Izu Thrush ◊  Turdus celaenops  Many seen on Miyakejima, always staying in the shadows!

Asian Brown Flycatcher  Muscicapa dauurica

Blue-and-white Flycatcher ◊  Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Siberian Rubythroat  Calliope calliope A singing male at Kiritappu marsh, then two showing among the Giant Butterbur banks near Nemuro on our last day.

Siberian Blue Robin  Larvivora cyane   A couple of nice sightings at Karuizawa and at Shiretoko, with many others heard.

Japanese Robin ◊  Larvivora akahige  We had a great look near the Shiretoko pass, the only one of the tour.

Izu Robin ◊  Larvivora tanensis  Commonly heard and several seen well on Miyakejima.

Ryukyu Robin ◊  Larvivora komadori  Some great views of this stunning bird on Amami Oshima.

Okinawa Robin ◊  Larvivora namiyei  Some stunning encounters with this lovely bird on Okinawa.

Narcissus Flycatcher ◊  Ficedula narcissina

Ryukyu Flycatcher ◊  Ficedula owstoni  Seen well on Amami Oshima.

Red-flanked Bluetail  Tarsiger cyanurus  Good looks at confiding birds on Mt Fuji.

Daurian Redstart ◊  Phoenicurus auroreus  A surprise to see a pair attending a nest at Takaminekogen.

Blue Rock Thrush  Monticola [solitarius] philippensis

Amur Stonechat ◊ (Stejneger’s S)  Saxicola stejnegeri

Brown Dipper  Cinclus pallasii  Seen at Karuizawa, and good views at Washi No Yado at Rausu.

Russet Sparrow  Passer cinnamomeus  A male at Kushiro marsh.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow  Passer montanus

Scaly-breasted Munia (introduced)  Lonchura punctulata  Seen on Okinawa.

Japanese Accentor ◊  Prunella rubida  A good show and great views of five at various points around Mt Fuji.

Grey Wagtail  Motacilla cinerea

White Wagtail ◊ (Black-backed W)  Motacilla [alba] lugens

Japanese Wagtail ◊  Motacilla grandis  Nice views near Karuizawa and on the Chikuma river.

Olive-backed Pipit  Anthus hodgsoni

Japanese Grosbeak ◊  Eophona personata  Treetop views at Karuizawa, better views with multiple birds at Mt Fuji.

Grey-bellied Bullfinch ◊ (Eurasian B)  Pyrrhula [pyrrhula] griseiventris  Seen at Takaminekogen, Mt Fuji, and in the Rausu area.

Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch ◊  Carpodacus sibiricus  Plenty of good looks at these stunning birds on Hokkaido.

Oriental Greenfinch (Grey-capped G)  Chloris sinica

Meadow Bunting ◊  Emberiza cioides

Chestnut-eared Bunting ◊  Emberiza fucata  Several seen well near Karuizawa, another on Hokkaido.

Yellow Bunting ◊  Emberiza sulphurata  They played hard to get at Karuizawa, but we eventually all had good views of a male.

Masked Bunting ◊  Emberiza personata  Fairly common by voice on Hokkaido and often seen.

Grey Bunting ◊  Emberiza variabilis  Up to its old tricks – we heard several on Shiretoko pass but only one offered some brief looks.

Japanese Reed Bunting ◊ (Ochre-rumped B)  Emberiza yessoensis  Two males seen at Omigawa on our first morning.

Common Reed Bunting  Emberiza schoeniclus  Seen at Kiritappu marsh.

MAMMALS

Common Raccoon Dog  Nyctereutes procyonoides  A surprise to see one at the roadside at Mt Fuji.

Red Fox  Vulpes vulpes  

Brown Bear  Ursus arctos  A brief glimpse of one on the Shiretoko pass.

Sea Otter  Enhydra lutris  Close views of one at Cape Nosappu.

Japanese Weasel  Mustela itatsi  Two seen along the roads on Miyakejima.

Eurasian Wild Pig  Sus scrofa  One seen on Okinawa.

Sika Deer  Cervus nippon

Baird’s Beaked Whale  Berardius bairdii  At least three seen from the Izu ferry.

Short-finned Pilot Whale  Globicephala macrorhynchus  Two groups seen from the Izu ferry.

Killer Whale  Orcinus orca  Two groups seen distantly from shore near Rausu.

Pacific White-sided Dolphin  Lagenorhyncus obliquidens  A group of at least 12 seen from shore near Rausu.

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin  Tursiops aduncus  A pod seen from the Izu ferry.

Ryukyu Flying Fox  Pteropus dasymallus  Several seen on our Okinawa night drives.

Japanese Macaque  Macaca fuscata  Seen on the bird table at Karuizawa.

Amami Rabbit (A Black R, Ryukyu R)  Pentalagus furnessi  Just one seen on our Amami Oshima night drive.

Siberian Chipmunk  Eutamias sibiricus  One in the forest at Akan near Kushiro.

Japanese Squirrel  Sciurus lis  Seen at Karuizawa.

Ryukyu Islands Tree Rat (R Long-haired R)  Diplothrix legata  One walking on a phone wire on our Amami Oshima night drive.

Amami Spiny Rat  Tokudaia osimensis  Seen on our Amami Oshima night drive.

Black Rat  Rattus rattus  The small ‘rat-shaped’ rats on our Amami Oshima night drive.

OTHER TAXA

Otton’s Frog  Babina subaspera  The larger frogs on Amami.

Ryukyu Kajika Frog  Buergeria japonica   The small frogs on Amami.

Amami Tip-nosed Frog  Odarrana amamiensis  On Amami.

Amami Sword-tailed Newt  Cynops ensicauda ensicauda  On Amami.

Okinawa Sword-tailed Newt   Cynops ensicauda popei  On Okinawa.

Okinawa Five-lined Skink  Plestiodon marginatus  On Okinawa.

Okinawa Tree Lizard  Japalura polygonata  On Okinawa

Ryukyu Odd-toothed Snake  Lycodon semicarinatus  On Amami.

Loggerhead Turtle  Caretta caretta  Seen from the Izu ferry.