What is Japan's national bird?
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Over 600 species of bird have been recorded in Japan and more than 250 of these breed. A number of birds are endemic including the Japanese woodpecker ("Picus awokera"), copper pheasant ("Syrmaticus soemmerringii") and Japan's national bird, the green pheasant ("Phasianus versicolor"). Several species are unique to the smaller islands including the Okinawa rail ("Gallirallus okinawae"), Izu thrush ("Turdus celaenops") and Bonin white-eye ("Apalopteron familiare "). Most of the non-endemic birds are shared with China but a few originate in Siberia or south-east Asia.
Wildlife of Japan
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Japan's national government has never formally named a national flower, as with other symbols such as the green pheasant, which was named as national bird by a non-government body in 1947. In 1999, the national flag and anthem were standardised by law.
Floral emblem
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The green pheasant ("Phasianus versicolor"), also known as Japanese green pheasant, is native to the Japanese archipelago, to which it is endemic. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the common pheasant. It is the national bird of Japan.
Green pheasant
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The Barmah National Park is an internationally recognised wetland, listed under the Ramsar Convention, and a number of bird species that utilise the Barmah National Park are part of the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) and the China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA).
Barmah National Park
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Wild Bird Society of Japan (日本野鳥の会) was founded in 1934 in Tokyo, Japan. The organization has 47,000 members and publishes a newsletter called Strix. Other relevant publications include the "Field Guide to the Birds of Japan", "Birds of East Asia", and "A Birdwatchers's Guide to Japan" by Mark Brazil, (published by Kodansha).
Wild Bird Society of Japan
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The species is legally protected in Japan and has been declared a "Natural Monument" and a "Special Bird for Protection". Yanbaru became a national park in 1996 and several forest sites have been bought by conservation organizations as nature reserves. Trapping is taking place to reduce predator numbers and traffic calming has been introduced to some areas to reduce the number of birds killed on roads. A captive breeding programme is planned for the future. The Japanese Ministry of Environment has plans to increase the population of the Okinawa rail by controlled breeding in special facilities. By 2017, they want to increase the number of this endangered bird to 200.
Okinawa rail
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Birdlife International has defined the following Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) in Japan:The following have been designated as secondary areas:The following is a list of bird species endemic to Japan:
List of endemic birds of Japan
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Big Bird in Japan is a 1989 television special by the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), that aired on PBS January 16, 1989. It is the sequel to "Big Bird in China" which was also based on the popular television series "Sesame Street". It talks about where Big Bird and Barkley visit some Japanese guests, count to 3 in Japanese and teach Japanese words. This television special was filmed in Kyoto and Tokyo in 1988. The program was also produced with the help of NHK. In the program, four splendid songs.
Big Bird in Japan
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Wild Bird Society of Japan is engaged in a number of international partnerships and campaigns:
Wild Bird Society of Japan
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The Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA) is a treaty between Australia and Japan to minimise harm to the major areas used by birds which migrate between the two countries. JAMBA was first developed on February 6, 1974 and came into force on April 30, 1981.
Japan–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement