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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Tokyo,

Tony Coatsworth

The naming convention is taken from 'An Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Oriental Region' by Inskipp, Lindsey and Duckworth, apart from those marked with * which are possible splits as new species.

Locations

The numbers by the sites refer to 'A birdwatchers guide to Japan' by Mark Brazil.

Meji Jingu (#1) has woodland birds such as Varied Tit and Pygmy Woodpecker. We found the best part was down by the Iris Garden as this had an entrance fee and so was a bit quieter apart from when the Irises are in bloom in June ! Ueno Park (#2) has a few large ponds which have loads of wildfowl in winter and still a few species in May. In the zoo there is a Cormorant colony with a few gulls hanging around it but you can see this from the road. The best place was Oi Wild bird Park (#3) on Tokyo Bay near Haneda Airport. This is slowly being surrounded by industrial units as the bay is reclaimed but still had good numbers of waders. Mandarin Ducks really eluded us and we only saw a pair at the National Centre for Nature Study. Early May when the Sumo tournament is on, there is a little park open next to the arena which had quite a few birds in.

M=Meji Jingu, O=Oi Wildbird Park, U = Ueno Park

    
1	Cygnus olor		        Mute Swan (Imperial Palace Moat)
2	Aix galericulata	    Mandarin Duck (National Centre for Nature Study)
3	Anas platyrhynchos	    Mallard (U)
4	Anas poecilorhyncha	    Spot-billed Duck (M,O,U)
5	Anas crecca crecca	    Common Teal (O)
6	Aythya ferina		    Common Pochard (O,U)
7	Dendrocopos kizuki	    Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (M)
8	Alcedo atthis		    Common Kingfisher (M)
9	Psittacula krameri	    Rose-ringed Parakeet (around National Stadium)
10	Streptopelia orientalis	Oriental Turtle-Dove (from train etc.)
11	Gallinula chloropus	    Common Moorhen (U)
12	Fulica atra		        Common Coot (O)
13	Gallinago gallinago	    Common Snipe (O)
14	Numenius phaeopus	    Whimbrel (O)
15	Tringa nebularia	    Common Greenshank (O)
16	Tringa hypoleucos	    Common Sandpiper (O)
17	Tringa brevipes		    Grey-tailed Tattler (O)
18	Arenaria interpres	    Ruddy Turnstone (O)
19	Calidris ruficollis	    Red-necked Stint (O)
20	Calidris alpina		    Dunlin (O)
21	Himantopus himantopus	Black-winged Stilt (O)
22	Charadrius dubius	    Little Ringed Plover (O)
23	Charadrius mongolus	    Lesser Sand Plover (O)
24	Larus crassirostris	    Black-tailed Gull (U)
25	Larus ridibundus	    Common Black-headed Gull (U)
26	Sterna albifrons	    Little Tern (O)
27	Tachybaptus ruficollis 	Little Grebe (U,O)
28	Phalacrocorax carbo	    Great Cormorant (U)
29	Egretta garzetta	    Little Egret (O)
30	Ardea cinerea		    Grey Heron (M,O,U)
31	Aredea alba		        Great Egret (O,U)
32	Cyanopica cyana		    Azure-winged Magpie (park next to Sumo arena)
33	Corvus macrorhynchos	Large-billed Crow (everywhere)
34	Sturnus cineraceus	    White-cheeked Starling (M,O,U)
35	Troglodytes troglodytes	Winter Wren (U)
36	Parus major		        Great Tit (M,O,U)
37	Parus varius	 	    Varied Tit (M)
38	Hirundo rustica		    Barn Swallow (M)
39	Delichon dasypus	    Asian House-Martin (park next to Sumo arena)
40	Ixos amaurotis		    Brown-eared Bulbul (M,O,U)
41	Zosterops japonicus	    Japanese White-eye (M)
42	Cettia diphone		    Japanese Bush-Warbler (M,U)
43	Passer montanus		    Eurasian Tree Sparrow (everywhere)
44	* Motacilla lugens	    Black-backed Wagtail (from train)
45	Motacilla grandis	    Japanese Wagtail
46	Carduelis sinica	    Grey-capped Greenfinch (O)

If anyone wants further information, please E-Mail me at Tony@tonyc.demon.co.uk

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