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.
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)
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