White-cheeked Starling (Sturnus cineraceus)

OTHER NAMES: Grey Starling, Ashy Starling

Latin Etymology: Sturnus ("starling") cineraceus ("ash grey")

Adult White-cheeked Starling (Sturnus cineraceus) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 200-735g  /  Length: 28-34cm  /  Wingspan: 57cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The common starling of Japan and East Asia, it is found through Japan, Russia, China and Korea, and migrating to Taiwan, Philippines and Thailand from the colder parts of its range in Winter.  While broadly found in cities, it is no way near as ubiquitous as the Eurasian Starling is in Europe.  It is also a lot more flighty and difficult to see.  I finally managed to get a good view in Kamakura, with this individual perched on a phone line being the only time I got a good view of one, despite numerous sightings of flyovers.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Sturnus
Subspecies: None - monotypic

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ムクドリ  /  muku-dori  ("muku-bird")  ///  ハクトウオウ /  hakutō-ō ("white-haired grandfather")

Widespread Winter Migrant

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Brief and distant views at Kyoto and Arashiyama

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Seen infrequently in small flocks at Kamakura and Tokyo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Vega Gull (Larus vegae)

OTHER NAMES: East Siberian Gull, East Siberian Herring Gull

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") vegae (after Swedish exploration vessel "Vega")

Two adult Vega Gull (Larus vegae) on the roof of Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1-1.5kg  /  Length: 55-67cm  /  Wingspan: 125-155cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated

The Vega Gull is the East Asian equivalent of the Herring Gull, and was until fairly recently considered to be a subspecies of that group.  Unlike the Herring Gull in the UK however, in Japan it is primarily a Winter visitor.  However, it seems to generally be more closely tied to water at this point, generally being found along rivers and coasts.   In the north of the country it seems to be displaced as the most common large gull species by the Slaty Backed Gull.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - 背グローかもめ  /  Seguro-kamome ("Black-backed Gull")

Widespread Winter Migrant

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Small numbers seen at Kamakura and Tsukiji Fish Market

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Zosterops ("Girdle eye") japonicus ("Japanese")

Adult Japanese White-eye (subspecies Z. j. japonicus) outside Haneda Airport, Tokyo, Japan - December 2014

Features subspecies: Zosterops japonicus japonicus
Weight: 9-13g  /  Length: 11-12cm  /  Wingspan: 15-18cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Japanese White-eye is a small warbler like bird found in East Asia.  It is found in both normal rural habitats and parkland, feeding off insects, nectar and fruit.  Widely depicted in Japanese art, it was traditionally kept as a songbird.  Outside of the breeding season it may join with other species in flocks. I saw more on my second trip to Japan, the last of which was this rather showy individual in the trees outside the airport terminals.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Zosterops
Subspecies: Z. j. yesoensis, Z. j. japonicus, Z. j. stejnegeri, Z. j. insularis, Z. j. loochooensis, Z. j. alani, Z. j. daitoensis, Z. j. simplex, Z. j. hainanus

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - メジロ / Me-jiro ("White-eye")

Common resident. 

 - KYOTO 2013 TRIP: Several seen in the Imperial Palace Gardens in Kyoto

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Fairly common in Tokyo with particularly showy individuals in the trees outside Haneda Airport

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Milvus ("kite") migrans ("migrating")

  Black Kite (subspecies M. m. lineatus) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: Black-eared Kite (Milvus migrans lineatus)

Weight: 560-940kg  /  Length: 48-58cm  /  Wingspan: 130-155cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List - Least Concern

Despite it's absence from the UK except as a vagrant, the Black Kite is a massively common bird of prey when viewed on the global level, potentially the most abundant (though not widespread) of all raptors in general.  It is much more of a scavenger than most other birds of prey, which is part of the reason for its comparative success in the modern world.  Black Kites can be found across Europe, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.  In Japan, where I encountered the species they could be spotted circling around the fringes of cities.

Related Species:
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Milvus
Subspecies:  M. m. migrans, M. m. lineatus, M. m. govinda, M. m. affinis, M. m. formosanus

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - トビ  /  Tobi  ("Kite")  

Common resident.

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Seen at throughout at random times in Kyoto and Osaka

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant at Kamakura, several seen in Tokyo and a number seen at the Akan Crane Centre

SPAIN - Spanish - Milano negro - ("Black Kite")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Seen several times in Madrid and the surrounding farmlands
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Abundant at  Monfrague and seen in numerous places elsewhere.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis)

OTHER NAMES: Rufous Turtle Dove

Latin Etymology: Streptopelia ("collar-dove") orientalis ("oriental")

Adult Oriental Turtle Dove (subspecies S. o. orientalis) at Arashiyama, Japan - July 2013

Featured Subspecies: Streptopelia orientalis orientalis
Weight: 165-274g  /  Length: 33-35cm  /  Wingspan: 55cm
NO UK STATUS  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

While it closely resembles the European Turtle Dove, it's role in Japan is more consistent with that of the Collared Dove in the UK - a numerous bird found in parkland and in cities.  As with the collared dove, it is a confiding species which permits close views.  It is found throughout much of East Asia, including Japan.  I saw it a number of times on both my trips to Japan, though generally on both occasions while it was found in the more urban sections of the city, this tended to be alongside to rivers with trees.  At the Monkey Sanctuary of Arashiyama they were a bit bolder, presumably learning to be tame to get a share of the food meant for the monkeys.

Related Species:
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genus: Streptopelia
Subspecies: S. o. meena, S. o . orientalis, S. o. stimpsoni, S. o. orii, S. o . erythrocephala, S. o . agricola

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - キジバト  /  Kiji-bato ("Pheasant Pigeon")

Very common resident. 

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Common throughout Kyoto and Arashiyama

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Fairly common in Tokyo

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, BirdGuides, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Brown-Eared Bulbul (Hypsipetes amaurotis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Hypsipetes ("high flyer") amaurotis ("brown eared")

Adult Brown-eared Bulbul (subspecies H. a. amaurotis) in Tokyo, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: Hypsipetes amaurotis amaurotis
Weight: 30-35g  /  Length: 28cm  /  Wingspan: ?
ABSENT FROM UK  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Brown-eared Bulbul is a common but fairly shy species in Japan, while widespread it seems to be heard a lot more than you like to get good views of it, on my first trip to Japan, most of the time I saw them only distantly or heard them in the treetops.  On my second visit they were much more abundant however, and proved to be one of those species that often looked as if they would be something else, but then resulted in frustration when it turned out to be yet another Bulbul. They are thrush sized and fairly raucous, making a lot of loud noise wherever they go.  Apparently they are fairly omnivorous, eating fruits, seeds, insects and whatever else they can get hold of.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Pycnonotidae
Genus: Hypsipetes or Microscelis
Subspecies: H. a. hensoni, H. a. amaurotis, H. a .squamiceps, H. a .magnirostris, H. a .borodinosis, H. a. ogawae, H. a. pryeri, H. a. insignis, H. a. stejnegeri, H. a. harterti, H. a. batanensis, H. a. fugensis, H. a. camiguinensis

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ヒヨドリ  /  Hiyo-dori  ("Bulbul")

Abundant resident. 

 - KYOTO 2013 TRIP: Seen often throughout Kyoto and Arashiyama thought never with good views.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant in Tokyo and common in Hokkaido including Akkeshi, Kushiro and Akan Crane Centre

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Oriental Greenfinch (Chloris sinica)

OTHER NAMES: Grey-capped Greenfinch, Chinese Greenfinch

Latin Etymology: Chloris ("finch/greenfinch") sinica ("Chinese")

Adult Oriental Greenfinch (subspecies C. s. minor) at Kyu Yasuda Park, Tokyo, Japan - July 2013

Featured Subspecies: Chloris sinica minor
Weight: 31g  /  Length: 15cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS  / IUCN Red List Least Concern

The Oriental Greenfinch, is as the name suggests essentially the Greenfinch of East Asia, although physically it resembles a cross between a Goldfinch and Greenfinch.  Also known as the Grey-capped Greenfinch, it can be seen in a wide variety of habitats both urban and rural.  It doesn't seem to be that confiding, on my trip to Kyoto I saw in on numerous occasions, largely in flight or high in the trees, while on my Tokyo trip, I got this much better view.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Chloris
Subspecies: C. s. sincica, C. s. chabarowi, C. s. ussuriensis, C. s. kawarahiba, C. s. minor, C. s. kittlitzi

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - カワラヒワ  /  Kawara hiwa  ("River-bed Siskin")

 A locally common resident.

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Common throughout Kyoto

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Several seen in Tokyo

Further Notes: Birdforum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Large Billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)

OTHER NAMES: Jungle Crow

Latin Etymology: Corvus ("raven") macrorhynchos ("great billed")

Adult Large Billed Crow (subspecies C. m. japonensis) at Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens, Kyoto, Japan - July 2013

Featured Subspecies: Corvus macrorhynchos japonensis
Weight: 500-700g  /  Length: 46-59cm  /  Wingspan: 104cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Large-Billed Crow found in Japan is sometimes split into a separate species (Corvus japonensis) but as I can currently find fairly minimal support for this, I'm changing this article to reflect the original setup. - either way it is one of the common crows of Japan, being found in a broad range of habitats, both urban and rural much as the Carrion Crow does in Europe, although it also co-exists with that species.  It is pretty much the most easy species to come across in Japan of all birds short of the Feral Pigeon and Tree Sparrow.  Personally, I really like the sound these birds - it is a lot less harsh than that of Carrion Crows and echoes in a pleasing way, although in Japan they are regarded as a nuisance.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Corvus
Subspecies: C. m. intermedius, C. m. tibetosinensis, C. m. mandshuricus, C. m. japonensis, C. m. connectens, C. m. osai, C. m. levaillantii, C. m. culminatus, C. m. colonorum, C. m. macrorhynchos, C. m. philippinus

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ハシブトガラス  /  Hasgi-buto-garasu ("Thick-billed Crow")

Abundant throughout Japan.

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Common throughout Kyoto, Osaka and Arashiyama

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Very common throughout Tokyo, Kushiro, Kamakura, Akkeshi and Shiranuka.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)

OTHER NAMES: Scaup, Bluebill

Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) marila ("charcoal" or "coal dust")

Top: Adult Female Greater Scaup (subspecies A. m. marila) on The River Nene at Wellingborough, Northants - January 2011

Bottom: Mixed gender flock of twelve adult Greater Scaup (subspecies A. m. marila) in Shiranuka Harbour, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Featured Subspecies: Aythya marila marila

Weight: 720-1300g  /  Length: 39-56cm  /  Wingspan: 71-84cm

UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Greater Scaup is primarily a Winter visitor to the UK, although it does also breed in tiny numbers. Best looked for relatively near the coast, for more inland sites, look through Tufted Duck and Pochard flocks to spot odd individuals like this one. The main difficulty is that both genders do look similar to tufted ducks (eg. female scaup look similar to female tufted ducks, and males to males), so you may have to look relatively closely to pick one out of the far more numerous tufted ducks.  In Japan during the Winter, finding Scaup is a much simpler affair, as they are one of the most common migrant Winter ducks, and can be found in flocks.  In Japan, I found this a very different affair - I caught glimpses of Scaup on Rivers in Central Tokyo, and encountered a decent sized flock in the town of Shiranuka near to Kushiro.

Related Species:
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
Subspecies: A. m. marila, A. m. nearctica

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A generally scarce but locally common breeding species (12000 birds) and rare breeding species (1-5 pairs)

 - A single bird seen on the River Nene in January 2011.

JAPAN - Japanese - Suzu-gamo (スズガモ) - "Bell Wildduck"

Common to locally abundant Winter migrant.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: A few in Central Tokyo and common in Hokkaido, with birds seen at Akkeshi, Kushiro and Shiranuka.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

OTHER NAMES: Tree Sparrow

Latin Etymology: Passer ("sparrow") montanus ("of the mountains")

Adult Eurasian Tree Sparrow (subspecies P. m. saturatus) at Kyoto Imperial Palace Gardens, Kyoto, Japan - June 2013

Featured Subspecies: Passer montaus saturatus
Weight: 24g  /  Length: 12-14cm  /  Wingspan: 21cm

UK RED LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Tree Sparrow is the rarer cousin of the near omnipresent house sparrow with a patchy distribution and generally quite rare. It is apparently just as widely spread as the house sparrow outside of Britain, but elsewhere it is far more localized in occurrence. I've seen them at Rutland Water and in hedgerows in Geddington. Since I originally photographed this one, interestingly they seem to be increasing their numbers near me.  In East Asia, including Japan and Malaysia, it replaces the house sparrow as the common urban sparrow species, and is found widely in inner city environments.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passidae
Genus: Passer
Subspecies: P. m. montanus, P. m. transcaucasicus, P. m. dilutus, P. m. dybowskii, P. m. kansuensis, P. m. iubilaeus, P. m. obscuratus, P. m. saturatus, P. m. malaccensis

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An localised resident breeding species (200,000 territories) - subspecies P. m. montanus

 - Seen at Rutland Water, Pitsford Reservoir and in some years, Geddington.

CAMBODIA - Khmer Name:  ចាបផ្ទះ ("House Sparrow")

A common urban resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: seen around  Siem Reap,

JAPAN - Japanese - スズメ / Suzume ("Sparrow")

Abundant resident - one of the most common urban birds.

 - KYOTO 2013 TRIP: Commonly throughout, seen in Kyoto and at Arashiyama. 

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Seen in Central Tokyo.

ITALY - Italian - Passero Mattugio ("Morning Sparrow")

A widespread resident

 - SICILY 2018 TRIP - Seen on Capo Murro di Porco 

MALAYSIA - Malay - Ciak Rumah ("House Cheep")

A locally common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: A common resident of Kuala Lumpur and Malacca

SINGAPORE - A  common resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen in a number of locations throughout. 

SPAIN - Spanish - Gorrión molinero ("Miller Sparrow")

A reasonably common resident,

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Seen near Laguna Campillo.
       
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .