Oui Bird Park
Some bird observations by Fer-Jan de Vries.
This is a small bird sanctuary (27 hectares) of the Wild Bird Society of Japan in the highly developed harbour area between central Tokyo and Haneda airport. It consists actually of two small parks, separated by a road. The entrance is in the west park. This park contains two small freshwater ponds closely surrounded by small trees and shrubs. Via a footbridge over the road one reaches the eastern park: a small open complex of freshwater ponds and mud flats and a larger tidal basin. In the middle there is a nicely designed building for bird observation with lots of telescopes, a tiny library and friendly japanese guides.
In March 97 reconstruction of the eastern park has begun.
The Wild Bird
Society of Japan gives further information on the park. Their page
contains a list of late spring observations.
How to get
there:
A visit December 17, 1995 (Bright dry
winter weather) Together with Hosoya-san.
B visit Januari 21, 1996 (First snowday of season in Tokyo) Together with Shuichi Haupt.
C visit May 18, 1996. (Cold spring day, hasty visit to the eastern pond late in the afternoon.) Together with Shuichi Haupt and Ted Sjodin.
D visit June 16, 1996. (Hot and humid, but dry day after de start of rainy season...)
E visit August 22, 1996. (A warm day, towards the end of summer. Hightide. at about 15.00)
F visit November 4, 1996. (A mild autumn day, at first sunny, then overcast. Lowtide. 15.00-1700) Together with ranger Hiroyuki Suzuki of the WBSJ. Majority of ducks consisted of Pochards (1000), Tufted duck and pintail each about 100.
G visit November 23, 1996. (A fresh autumn day, at first sunny, then overcast. Lowtide in the morning) Together with Hosoya-san and other members of the Ecoclub. Ranger Hiroyuki Suzuki of the WBSJ. Majority of ducks still consisted of Pochards (700).
H visit March 19, 1997. (A fresh springday, overcast, windy. Droppiong hightide.) Many Mew gulls, majority of ducks still consisted of Pochards.Hardly any herons, due to the reconstruction works, perhaps.
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Little grebe
Podiceps ruficollis
Kaitsuburi
: A, B, C, D, F,G, H
-
Great Cormorant
Phalacrococax carbo
Kawa-u
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, h
-
Mallard
Anas Platyrhynchos
Ma-gamo
: A, D, F, G
-
Spot-billed duck
Anas poecilorhyncha
Karu-gamo
: A, B, C, D, F, (ducklings), E, G, H
-
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Hashibiro-gamo
: A, B, F, G, H
-
Green-winged Teal
Anas crecca
Ko-gamo
: A, B, F, G, H
-
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulata
Oshi-dori
: F 1 male. First sighting of season according to Suzuki-san.
-
Falcated Teal
Anas falcata
Yoshi-gamo
: G, one male, in the presence of some Greater Scaups.
-
Gadwall
Anas strepera
Okayoshi-gamo
: A, F, G, H
-
Northern Pintail
Anas acuta
Onaga-gamo
: A, B, F, G, H (3 ex)
-
Wigeon
Anas penelope
Hidori-gamo
: A, B, F, G (from eclips to normal plumage moult), H
-
Pochard
Aythya ferina
Hoshi-hajiro
: A, B, C, F, G, H
-
Tufted duck
Aythya fuligula
Kinkuro-hajiro
: A, B, C, F, G, H
-
Greater scaup
Aythya marila
Suzu-gamo
: C female G (20 ex)
-
Smew
Mergus albellus
Miko-aisa
: B Female G 1 ex, eclipse
-
Slaty-backed gull
Larus schitisagus
Ou-seguro-kamome
: A, H
-
Herring gull
Larus argentatus
Seguro-kamome
: A, B, F, G, H
-
Black-tailed gull
Larus crassirostris
Umineko
: A, B, D, E, G, H
-
Mew gull
Larus canus
Kamome
: A, B, H
-
Black-headed Gull
Larus ridibundus
Yuri-kamome
: A, B, F, G (several hunderds, on garbage dumps out of sight, but swarming with passing birds of prey...), H (10 ex)
-
Little tern
Sterna albifrons
Ko-ajisashi
: C, D
-
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Goi-sagi
: A, B, D, E, G, H
-
Chinese Little Bittern
Ixobrychus sinensis
Yoshi-goi
: D
-
Little egret
Egretta garzetta
Ko-sagi
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H
-
Great egret
Egretta alba
Dai-sagi
: C, D, E, F, G, H
-
Gray heron
Ardea cinerea
Ao-sagi
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
- Coot
Fulica atra
Ou-ban
: A, B, C, D(with young) E, F, G, H
-
Common Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus
Ban
: A, B, C, F, G, H
-
Little ringed plover
Charadrius dubius
Kochidori
: C 2 ex., D, E 2 ex., H 2 ex.
-
Mongolian plover
Charadrius mongolus
Meddai-chidori
: C 2 ex, E 10 ex
-
Lesser golden plover
Pluvialis dominica
Munaguro
: E 12 ex
-
Common Sandpiper
Tringa hypoleucos
Isoshigi
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G
-
Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus
Sorihashishigi
: E 8 ex.
-
Ruddy turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Kyoujo-shigi
: C 15 ex, E 10 ex
-
Greenshank
Tringa nebulara
Aoashi-shigi
: C 12 ex.
-
Gray-tailed tatler
Tringa brevipes
Kiashi-shigi
: C 20 ex., E 6 ex. roosting on posts in the water
-
Black-tailed godwit
Limosa limosa
Oguro-shigi
: E 15 ex. (Winterplumage)
-
Bar-tailed godwit
Limosa lapponica
Ou-sori hashi-shigi
: E 1 ex. (Short legs, uplifted bill, summerplumage)
-
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Chuushaku-shigi
: C 1 ex.
-
Common snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Ta-shigi
: A, C, F, G (3 ex), H (3 ex)
-
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Seitaka-shigi
: A, E 8 ex, F 15 ex G 15 ex
-
Black Kite
Milvus migrans
Tobi
: A, G (6 ex), H
-
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Nosuri
: F 4 ex. soaring high in the sky, migrating to SW.
-
European Sparrowhawk (?)
Accipiter gularis
Tsumi
: G 1 ex, far in the distance, total wingspan only a little beyond the length of one wing of Black Kite. Soaring most of the time.
-
Japanese wood pigeon !?
Columba janthina
Karasu-bato
: C Completely dark pigeon with red legs, 1 ex. Just seen in a flash: flying overhead and disappearing in hedgerow. No, too optimistic, in hindsight it must have been a dark domestic pigeon!! D
-
Rufous turtle dove
Streptopelia orientalis
Kiji-bato
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H
-
House swift
Apus affinis
Hime-amatsubame
: D
-
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
Kawasemi
: A, B, F, (juvenile), G, H
-
House martin
Delicho urbica
Iwa-tsubame
: C, D Underparts not pure white...
-
Barn swallow
Hirundo rustica
Tsubame
: D
-
White wagtail
Haku-sekirei
Motacilla alba
: A, B, C, E, G, H
-
Japanese wagtail
Seguro-sekirei
Motacilla grandis
: A, B, D, F, G, H
-
Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Hibari
: D
-
Brown-eared bulbul
Hypsipetes amaurotis
Hiyodori
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H
-
Bull-headed shrike
Lanius bucephalus
Mozu
: F, G, H
-
Daurian redstart
Phoenicurus auroreus
Joobitaki
: A, G
-
Dusky thrush
Turdus naumanni
Tsugumi
: A, B, F, G, H
-
Bush warbler
Cettia diphone
Uguisu
: B, G, H
-
Fan tailed warbler
Cisticola jundicis
Sekka
: B
-
Great reed warbler
Acrosephalus arundinaceus
Ou-yoshikiri
: C, D
-
Great tit
Parus major
Shijuu-kara
: A, B, D, F, G, H
-
Japanese white-eye
Zosterops japonica
Mejiro
: B, G
-
Siberian meadow bunting
Emberiza cioides
Hoojiro
: A, D, F, G
-
Rustic bunting
Emberiza rustica
Kashira-daka
: A, H
-
Black faced bunting
Emberiza spodocephala
Aoji
: B, G
-
Gray bunting
Emberiza variabilis
Kuroji
: B female
-
Oriental greenfinch
Kawarahiwa
Carduelis sinica
: A, B, E, G
-
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustes
Shime
: G, one male.
-
Tree sparrow
Passer montanus
Szume
: A, B, D, E, G, h
-
Gray starling
Sturnus cineraceus
Mukudori: A, C, D, E, F, G, H
-
Azure winged magpie
Cyanopica cyana
Onaga
: A, D, E, G
-
Carrion crow
Corvus corone
Hashiboso-garasu
: A, B, C, D, G, H
-
Jungle crow
Hashibuto-garasu
Corvus macrorhynchos
: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H
-
Here is a list of birds that R.M. Ness has observed on January 5, 1997 at Oi bird park. Note the Marsh harrier!
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Last modified: November 7, 1997.
Fer-Jan de Vries, ferjan@etl.go.jp