Charles Harper
Régisseur
Japan is not a major destination for listers unless they are nearing the 4000 mark or have occasion to come here on other business. Japan has relatively few endemics or near-endemics, and most of them are found only on various isolated islands of the archipelago; travel within the country is expensive (though inflation has been less here than in the US and Europe in the past ten years), especially if one wishes to go from island to island in one fell birding swoop, and the language and culture are not foreigner-friendly, though the people themselves try hard to be helpful to visitors. On the other hand, Japan is eminently first-world, safe and healthy to travel in. For those with the wherewithal, an organized tour might be the least stressful way to come, as almost all of the hit species are localized and promptly located with the help of a guide.
Our 17 endemic species, according to current taxonomy, are: Japanese Murrelet, Okinawa Rail, Amami Woodcock, Ryukyu Serpent Eagle, Green Pheasant, Copper Pheasant, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Pryer's Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Ryukyu Minivet, Japanese Accentor, Ryukyu Robin, Amami Thrush, Izu Islands Thrush, Bonin Islands Honeyeater, and Lidth's Jay. After 13 years' residence, I have seen 13 of these and dipped on two others (I would not have dipped if I had had a guide).
The major authoritative reference in English is Mark Brazil's The Birds of Japan(1991), which lists a further seven endemic breeders (they winter elsewhere) and 14 near-endemic/breeders (for which Japan is the main part of their range).
The lone English-language field guide, Field Guide to the Birds of Japan, by the Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ) and illustrated by S. Takano, has been out of print for several years, and is poorly illustrated by today's standards, while the text and taxonomy are out of date. There are two bird finding guides (still in print?): A Birdwatcher's Guide to Japan, by Mark Brazil (1987) and A Birder's Guide to Japan, by Jane Washburn Robinson (1987), both growing outdated, but still quite functional. I recommend using both, as their information is often complementary.
For the multilingual, there are a number of excellent, up-to-date national and regional field guides (both photographic and with paintings) and birdfinding guides in Japanese.
I hope my colleagues here will add to this introduction and contribute their own birding site information, as will I. And of course in the meantime you can contact me at [email protected] .
Our 17 endemic species, according to current taxonomy, are: Japanese Murrelet, Okinawa Rail, Amami Woodcock, Ryukyu Serpent Eagle, Green Pheasant, Copper Pheasant, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Pryer's Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Ryukyu Minivet, Japanese Accentor, Ryukyu Robin, Amami Thrush, Izu Islands Thrush, Bonin Islands Honeyeater, and Lidth's Jay. After 13 years' residence, I have seen 13 of these and dipped on two others (I would not have dipped if I had had a guide).
The major authoritative reference in English is Mark Brazil's The Birds of Japan(1991), which lists a further seven endemic breeders (they winter elsewhere) and 14 near-endemic/breeders (for which Japan is the main part of their range).
The lone English-language field guide, Field Guide to the Birds of Japan, by the Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ) and illustrated by S. Takano, has been out of print for several years, and is poorly illustrated by today's standards, while the text and taxonomy are out of date. There are two bird finding guides (still in print?): A Birdwatcher's Guide to Japan, by Mark Brazil (1987) and A Birder's Guide to Japan, by Jane Washburn Robinson (1987), both growing outdated, but still quite functional. I recommend using both, as their information is often complementary.
For the multilingual, there are a number of excellent, up-to-date national and regional field guides (both photographic and with paintings) and birdfinding guides in Japanese.
I hope my colleagues here will add to this introduction and contribute their own birding site information, as will I. And of course in the meantime you can contact me at [email protected] .
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