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Blog Birds 5ページ目
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Black-winged kite
The black-winged kite is widely distributed mainly in the African continent, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is a rare stray bird in Japan due to its outlying distribution area, but on Ishigaki Island it has become established and breeds and can be observed all year round.I first saw it in Senegal. It was a bird that was very wary and would fly away if I approached it even a little. When I saw it on Ishigaki Island a few years ago, I only saw it in the distance.Recently, however, there are more and more individuals that are less cautious,…
- Birds
- Ishigaki Island
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Ryukyu serpent eagle
The crested serpent eagle is the symbol of Ishigaki Island. It is widespread from India and China to South-East Asia, but Japanese subspecie, Ryukyu serpent eagle, is an endangered species in Japan. Deaths due to traffic accidents are particularly serious. According to Mr Kobayashi of SeaBeans, who has been guiding on Ishigaki Island for many years, four have already been killed this year. When you drive on the roads of Ishigaki Island, you will see signs warning of crested serpent eagle accidents here and there. They often appear on the side of the road when the weather is bad. The bird in…
- Birds
- Ishigaki Island
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White-bellied green pigeon in the Kyoto Imperial Palace
Winter, along with spring, is the time when the Kyoto Imperial Palace is at its busiest with small birds. In particular, white-bellied green pigeon is the symbol of the Palace in winter. After raising their young in northern Japan and the mountains, they spend the winter in Kyoto City at the Imperial Palace and the Botanical Gardens. The bird is often found in trees and is difficult to spot, but you will notice its presence because of its oohs and aahs, a very eerie call. Different from such a voice, the bird, as its name suggests, has a beautiful olive colour…
- Birds
- Kyoto
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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…
- Amami Ōshima
- Birds
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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…
- Birds
- Kyoto