List of endemic birds of Japan

This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the world's various zoogeographic zones. For an overview of this subject see Endemism in birds.

Patterns of endemism Japan has no endemic families. It has one endemic genus: Apalopteron, which contains the Bonin white-eye. The extinct Bonin grosbeak was formerly considered the only member of the genus Chaunoproctus, but taxonomic analysis supports it as being a basal member of the rosefinch genus Carpodacus.

Endemic Bird Areas

Birdlife International has defined the following Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) in Japan:

Izu Islands Ogasawara Islands Nansei Shoto

The following have been designated as secondary areas:

Central Honshu lowland forests Central Honshu montane forests Iwo Islands Other islands

List of species The following is a list of bird species endemic to Japan:

Resident endemics Common name Binomial Family Distribution Status NotesCopper pheasantSyrmaticus soemmerringiiPhasianidaeHonshu, Kyushu, and ShikokuGreen pheasantPhasianus versicolorPhasianidaeHonshu, Kyushu, and ShikokuIntroduced to Hawaii. National bird of Japan.Japanese woodpeckerPicus awokeraPicidaeHonshu and KyushuOkinawa woodpeckerDendrocopos noguchiiPicidaeOkinawaAmami woodpeckerDendrocopos (leucotos) owstoniPicidaeAmami ŌshimaGenerally considered a subspecies of the white-backed woodpecker, but some consider it distinct.Bonin wood pigeonColumba versicolorColumbidaeNakodo-jima and Chichi-jima in the Bonin IslandsLast seen in 1889.Ryukyu wood pigeonColumba jouyiColumbidaeVarious islets throughout the Ryukyu IslandsLast reliably seen in 1936.Ryukyu green pigeonTreron permagnus permagnus/medioximusColumbidaePermagnus: Yakushima, Amami-Oshima, Okinawa Medioximus: Ishigaki, Iriomote, YonaguniOkinawa railGallirallus okinawaeRallidaeOkinawaAmami woodcockScolopax miraScolopacidaeAmami Oshima, Okinawa and TokunoshimaLidth's jayGarrulus lidthiCorvidaeAmami Ōshima and TokunoshimaRyukyu minivetPericrocotus tegimaeCampephagidaeFormerly the Ryukyu Islands, though have recently self-colonized Kyushu, Shikoku, and HonshuOwston's titSittiparus owstoniParidaeMiyakejima, Mikurajima and HachijojimaIriomote titSittiparus olivaceus ParidaeYaeyama IslandsBonin thrushZoothera terrestrisTurdidaeChichijima in the Ogasawara IslandsLast seen in 1828.Izu thrushTurdus celaenopsTurdidaeIzu and Tokara IslandsIzu robinLarvivora (akahige) tanensisMuscicapidaeIzu IslandsGenerally considered a subspecies of the Japanese robin, but some consider it distinct.Ryukyu robinLarvivora komadoriMuscicapidaeTokara Islands, Tanegashima, Okinoerabujima, TokunoshimaOkinawa robinLarvivora namiyeiMuscicapidaeOkinawaRyukyu flycatcherFicedula owstoniMuscicapidaeRyukyu IslandsBonin white-eyeApalopteron familiareZosteropidaeHahajima formerly throughout BoninBonin grosbeakCarpodacus ferreorostrisFringillidaeChichijima in the Ogasawara IslandsLast reported in 1828.Bonin greenfinchChloris kittlitziFringillidaeHahajima and South Iwo Jima

Breeding endemics Common name Binomial Family Distribution Status NotesMatsudaira's storm-petrel Oceanodroma matsudairaeHydrobatidaeVolcano Islands (breeding), Indian Ocean (wintering)Short-tailed albatrossPhoebastria albatrus DiomedeidaeSenkaku Islands, Muko-jima, and Tori-shima (breeding), broader Pacific Ocean (wintering). Extirpated as a breeder on most of the other Bonin Islands as well as the non-Japanese Marshall Islands. Also formerly bred on Bermuda in prehistoric times.Bryan's shearwater Puffinus bryaniProcellaridaeBonin Islands (breeding), Pacific Ocean around the Hawaiian Islands (wintering).Bannerman's shearwaterPuffinus bannermani ProcellaridaeVolcano Islands (breeding), Pacific Ocean around Ogasawara Group (wintering)Ijima's leaf-warblerPhylloscopus ijimae PhylloscopidaeIzu Islands and Tokara Islands (breeding), Honshu, Kyushu, Nansei-shoto, the Philippines, and Taiwan (wintering)Japanese leaf warblerPhylloscopus xanthodryasPhylloscopidaeAll of Japan except Hokkaido (breeding), Taiwan and Southeast Asia (wintering)Yellow buntingEmberiza sulphurataEmberizidaeNorthern Japan barring Hokkaido (breeding), southern Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines (wintering)

References