Brown-headed Thrush (Turdus chrysolaus)

OTHER NAMES: Red-bellied Thrush, Brown Thrush, Rufous-Breasted Thrush

Latin Etymology: Turdus ("thrush") chrysolaus ("gold thrush")

Female Brown-headed Thrush (subspecies T. c. orii) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: Turdus chrysolaus orii
Weight: 60-70g  /  Length: 23cm  /  Wingspan: ?
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Out of all the species I have put on this site, this species seems to have least information available on my normal sources.  I picked this bird out late in my trip to Kamakura feeding high in the trees with a flock of smaller birds such as Japanese Tit and Japanese White-eye.  It breeds in the Russian Far East and Northern Japan and travels South in Winter.  It seems to fill much the same ecological niche as the thrushes in the UK - feeding on berries and invertebrates.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
Subspecies: T. c. orii, T. c. chrysolaus

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - アカハラ  /  Aka-hara  ("Red-belly")

Breeding species in Northern Japan, Fairly Winter Migrant to the South

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Single individual seen in mixed flock at Kamakura 

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

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 .

Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris)

OTHER NAMES: Japanese Gull, Temminck's Gull

Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") crassirostris ("heavy billed")

Adult Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) with Vega Gull and Japanese Cormorants at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 430-640g  /  Length: 46cm  /  Wingspan: 126-128cm

ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Black-tailed Gull is the most common large gull of Japan, it is resident all year while the other Larus species are largely Winter visitors.  They are a fair bit smaller than Herring-gull types however, probably a little closer to the Common Gull.  In Japan they are known as "umi-neko" which means "sea-cat" due to their cat like call.  I glimpsed a few of what was almost certainly this species from the train during my first visit to Japan, but had clearer views of them in the Tokyo area.  They were not in evidence in the sites we visited in Hokkaido, presumably replaced by the four larger Larus species that were.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Subspecies: None (Monotypic)

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese: ウミネコ / umi-neko ("Sea-cat")

Widespread and Fairly Common Coastal Resident

 - KYOTO/OSAKA 2013 TRIP: Seen distantly from the bridge approaching the airport at Osaka

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Several seen at Kamakura and a single bird at Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo

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

Japanese Bush Warbler (Horornis diphone)

OTHER NAMES: Singing Bush Warbler

Latin Etymology: Horornis ("mountain bird") diphone ("many tonged")

Three partial views of a Japanese Bush Warbler (subspecies H. d. cantans) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: Horornis diphone cantans
Weight: 15-22g  /  Length: 15.5cm  /  Wingspan: 20-22cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Japanese Bush Warbler is definitely a skulker, a fact clearly represented by the quality of the above photos.  I suspect this is also a contributing factor to why it is also known as the Japanese Nightingale, a fact also backed up by its drab appearance and melodious song in the Spring.  My sighting of this species was not my most riveting sighting- some brief glimpses of a small, brown bird I'd been alerted to the presence of by its alarm call.  I never got a clear view of it as it flitted around through the bushes low to the ground.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cettiidae
Genus: Horornis
Subspecies: H. d. canturians, H. d. viridis, H. d. cantans, H. d. riukiuensis, H. d. restrictus, H. d. diphone

 - Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese: ウグイス  /  Uguisu ("Warbler")*

Widespread Resident

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Single bird seen poorly in the bushes at Kamakura

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

*The Japanese Bush Warbler has a lot of names in Japanese, these include Haru-dori (ハルドリ) , Haru-tsuge-dori (ハルツゲドリ), Hana-mi-dori (ハナミドリ) , kyō-yomi-dori (キョウヨミドリ), nioi-dori (ニオイドリ), hitoku-dori (ヒトクドリ), momochi-dori (モモチドリ) and atago-dori (アタゴドリ) .

Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Monticola ("Mountain dweller") solitarius ("solitary")

Top Left: Male Blue Rock Thrush (subspecies M. s. philippensis) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Top Right: Female Blue Rock Thrush (subspecies M. s. philippensis) at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Bottom: Male Blue Rock Thrush (subspecies M. s. solitarius) at Monfrague National Park, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Monticola solitarius philippensis
Weight: 40-70g  /  Length: 21-23cm  /  Wingspan: 35-40cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the name "Thrush" and the distinctively Thrush like shape, it is actually a member of the old world flycatchers like the robins and redstarts.  It is broadly distributed across the Old World and resident across its range, found in a range which extends from Southern Europe to North Africa and across to East Asia.  They generally live in mountainous areas where they make their nests in rocky crevices.  I found this species while following the craggy coast of Kamakura round to a viewpoint for Mount Fuji - a male and two females were living in a short stretch between rocky cliffs and the sea, often alighting on overhead wires.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Monticola
Subspecies: M. s. solitarius, M. s. longirostris, M. s. pandoo, M. s. philippensis, M. s. madoci

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer -  ពពិចថ្

A locally common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen at Angkor Wat

JAPAN - Japanese - イソヒヨドリ  /  Iso-hiyo-dori ("Rocky-shore Bulbul")

Locally common resident

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Two males and one female seen on the outskirts of Kamakura

SPAIN - Spanish - Roquero solitario - "Rock Solitary"

 Locally common resident

 - MADRID 2015 TRIP: Several seen at Patones
 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: Two males seen at Monfrague 

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

Japanese Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus)

OTHER NAMES: Temminck's Cormorant

Latin Etymology: Phalacrocorax ("cormorant ; bald raven") capillatus ("hairy")

                      Ten Japanese Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus) in various states of plumage at Kamakura, Japan - November 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2.3-3.3kg  /  Length: 92cm  /  Wingspan: 152cm
ABSENT FROM UK / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Japanese Cormorant is a close relation of the Great Cormorant, however, unlike them, it has a far more restricted range, found around the Far East - Taiwan, Japan, the Korean Penninsula and Siberia.  In this range, the Great Cormorant tends to be primarily a freshwater species while the Japanese Cormorants are saltwater species.  They look largely similar to the Great Cormorant, but have a slight greenish tinge to the plumage and a different structure of the bill.

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Subspecies: None - monotypic

- Sighting Locations -

JAPAN - Japanese - ウミウ  /  Umi-u ("Sea cormorant")

Locally abundant resident of rocky coasts.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: Abundant at Kamakura and Shiranuka.

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

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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 .

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 .

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 .

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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