{"id":6028,"date":"2014-05-19T22:25:44","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T21:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/insidejapanblog.com\/?p=6028"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:19:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T11:19:11","slug":"birding-in-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"An introduction to birding in Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Covering a total of 377,708 sq kms, Japan is<strong> three times larger than England<\/strong>. Located between <\/span><span style=\"color: #313131;\">24\u00b0 to 46\u00b0 north latitude and from 123\u00b0 to 146\u00b0 east longitude, the island chain covers a wide climatic range: from the boreal climate zone in the north to the sub-tropical zone in the south. It also spans two ecological lines; the Blakiston\u2019s Line (between Hokkaido and Honshu) and the Watase \u2018s Line in the south. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #313131;\">Because of these rather unique geographical and ecological backgrounds, Japan\u2019s avifauna is extremely diverse and interesting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6039 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Tsuru\" width=\"468\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">More than <strong>600 species<\/strong> have been recorded to date with around 60 being endemic or sub-regional endemic. The actual number of endemic species ranges from 12-23, depending on the source. These include the Copper Pheasant, Japanese Woodpecker, Japanese Scops Owl, Okinawa Rail, Amami Woodcock, Ryukyu Serpeant Eagle, Lidith\u2019s Jay, Bonin Honeyeater and Japanese Skylark. However, most of Japan\u2019s birds are migratory, with more than 60 percent being seasonal visitors.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>When and where to go:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Hokkaido<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">Despite still being covered in snow and temperatures sometimes dropping below -15 degrees centigrade, Hokkaido in February is a birder\u2019s paradise, with the chance to view up close the iconic Red-crowned cranes and the magnificent Steller\u2019s Sea Eagles. If you look in the right places you might also see the Blakiston\u2019s Fish Owl, White-tailed Eagles, the Ural Owl, Harlequin Ducks and Slaty-backed Gulls.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Honshu-Hokkaido Ferry<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">The rich waters of the north Pacific are a seabird fanatic\u2019s paradise. On a good day on the ferry between these two islands you can see an exciting selection of seabirds including three species of albatross, rare species of storm petrels, aucs, Ancient Murrelet, Pacific Loon, Band-rumped Swinhoe\u2019s and Streaked Shearwater. Check on what species are present at specific times of the year before you come.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6040 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"White Tailed on drift ice\" width=\"468\" height=\"702\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles.jpg 1139w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-900x1350.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-390x585.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-780x1170.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-510x765.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Hakata Bay<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">Hakata Bay, near the city of Fukuoka at the north of Kyushu, is another seabird fanatic\u2019s winter paradise. It\u2019s possible to see 100 species in a day as the bay supports an incredible 70,000 wintering birds. Look out for Baikel Teal, Black-faced Spoonbills and Pacific Loon. Summer in Hakata Bay is a great time to see a wide range of shorebirds including Little Curlew, Asian Dowitcher and Nordmann\u2019s Greenshank.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Arasaki<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">With over <strong>10,000<\/strong> birds present between December and February, the paddy fields of Arasaki are home to one the most impressive gatherings of cranes in the world.\u00a0 The area in the Kagoshima prefecture, southern Kyushu, hosts around 8,000 Hooded and 2000 White-naped cranes, as well as a number of other wintering and other seasonal and non-seasonal birds. These include the Ural Owl, Crested Kingfisher, grosbeaks, Japanese Skylark, Copper Pheasant and many, many more!<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-6032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790.jpg?w=468\" alt=\"Bird spotting in Japan \" width=\"468\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-390x259.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-510x339.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Tokyo area<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">Even in and around this world famous metropolis, it\u2019s possible to see a wide range of birds. The Lotus Pond (Shinobazunoike) at Ueno Park is home or occasional home to many birds including Northern Pintail, Common Pochard, Asian Spot-billed Ducks, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon and Lesser Scaup.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\">Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park near Haneda Airport has a number of hides and is well worth a visit. The area hosts a large number waterfowl and waders including Long-billed Dowitcher and Pied Avocet.<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong>Japan is a birders paradise. Happy Twitching!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #313131;\"><strong><i>Richard Pearce and the members of this year\u2019s Winter Highlights tour recorded a number of beautiful and exciting birds. These included Red-crowned Crane, Steller\u2019s Sea Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Ural Owl (Hokkaido sub-species), Harlequin Duck and Slaty-backed Gull.<br \/>\n<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-6028 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-half-width'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/sony-dsc-42\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-720x479.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"Bird spotting in Japan\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-390x259.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824-510x339.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00824.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6030'>\n\t\t\t\tBirds on ice\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/sony-dsc-43\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-720x479.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"Bird spotting in Japan\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6031\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-390x259.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741-510x339.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00741.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6031'>\n\t\t\t\tWhite Tailed Eagle \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/sony-dsc-44\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-720x479.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"Bird spotting in Japan\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-390x259.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790-510x339.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00790.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6032'>\n\t\t\t\tSteller Sea Eagle\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/sony-dsc-45\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-720x479.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"Bird spotting in Japan\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6033\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-390x259.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904-510x339.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/dsc00904.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6033'>\n\t\t\t\tRed crowned crane\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/_1010229\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"452\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-720x452.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6037\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-720x452.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-900x565.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-390x245.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-780x490.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229-510x320.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/1010229.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6037'>\n\t\t\t\tSteller Sea Eagle\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/sony-dsc-46\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"479\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-720x479.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-720x479.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-1200x799.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-1440x958.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-780x519.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/crane_wh_rich-510x339.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6038'>\n\t\t\t\tRed Crowned Crane\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/img_1607\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-720x540.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-720x540.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-900x675.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-390x293.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-780x585.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/img_1607-510x383.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6039'>\n\t\t\t\tTsuru\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/stellers-sea-eagles\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-720x1080.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-900x1350.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-390x585.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-780x1170.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles-510x765.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/stellers-sea-eagles.jpg 1139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6040'>\n\t\t\t\tWhite Tailed on drift ice\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-720x480.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-720x480.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-390x260.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-780x520.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/tim_hutchin_wh2008-9.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6041'>\n\t\t\t\tCranes\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/19\/birding-in-japan\/ural-owkl\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-720x430.jpg\" class=\"attachment-half-width size-half-width\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-6042\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-720x430.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-900x537.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-390x233.jpg 390w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-780x466.jpg 780w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl-510x304.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/ural-owkl.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-6042'>\n\t\t\t\tUral Owl\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<h4>Like this post? Help us by sharing it!<\/h4><ul class=\"wpfai-list\"><li class=\"wpfai-list-item facebook\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;t=\" title=\"Facebook\" class=\"wpfai-facebook wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-facebook fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item twitter\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Twitter\" class=\"wpfai-twitter wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-twitter fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item pinterest\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;description=&amp;media=\" title=\"Pinterest\" class=\"wpfai-pinterest wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-pinterest fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item linkedin\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028&amp;title=\" title=\"Linked In\" class=\"wpfai-linkedin wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-linkedin fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item envelope\">\r\n      <a href=\"mailto:?subject=&amp;body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028%20-%20\" title=\"E-Mail\" class=\"wpfai-envelope wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item stumbleupon\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stumbleupon.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Stumble Upon\" class=\"wpfai-stumbleupon wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-stumbleupon fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><li class=\"wpfai-list-item reddit\">\r\n      <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.insidejapantours.com%2Fblog%2Fwp-json%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fposts%2F6028\" title=\"Reddit\" class=\"wpfai-reddit wpfai-link wpfainw\">\r\n        <span class=\"fa-stack fa-lg\">\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-square fa-stack-2x\"><\/i>\r\n          <i class=\"fa fa-reddit fa-stack-1x fa-inverse\"><\/i>\r\n        <\/span>\r\n      <\/a>\r\n    <\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Like this post? Help us by sharing it! Covering a total of 377,708 sq kms, Japan is three times larger than England. Located between 24\u00b0 to 46\u00b0 north latitude and from 123\u00b0 to 146\u00b0 east longitude, the island chain covers a wide climatic range: from the boreal climate zone in the north to the sub-tropical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2357],"tags":[1348,1349,3598],"class_list":["post-6028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-japanese-wildlife-and-environment","tag-birding-in-japan","tag-birds-in-japan","tag-birdwatching-in-japan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6028","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6028"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6028\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18271,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6028\/revisions\/18271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6028"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6028"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidejapantours.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6028"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}