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Lidth’s jay in Amami Oshima Island
Despite being about the same size as the UK, Japan is home to 15 endemic bird species. Of these, four species, including the Lidth's jay, can be observed on Amami Oshima Island, south of Honshu, and is designated a World Heritage Site. The Lidth's jay became a protected species in 1921 after being overhunted since the end of the 19th century when its beautiful feathers were used to make women's hats. In recent years, its population has recovered and it has been removed from the Red List of Threatened Wildlife and can now be seen close to people's homes. It has…
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Goosander on the Kamogawa river
In January, the Kamogawa River is teeming with ducks. The most remarkable of these is the Goosander. These ducks are slimmer than common ducks such as mallards and teal, making them look one size bigger. The Goosander is called kawaaisa ‘川秋沙’ in Japanese and uses the autumn kanji ‘秋’. It flies to the Kamogawa River between October and November and returns north in early spring, although some individuals may remain until June. In the past, they were found mainly in large rivers, particularly those with strong currents, and were so few in number that they were included on Kyoto Prefecture's list of near-threatened…
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