Birds to See in Japan in October
132 species listed for October · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
132 bird species on our list for Japan are recorded regularly in October. Of these, the most often recorded are Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Pied Wagtail, Grey Heron, Carrion Crow and Great Cormorant. New this month: Dusky Thrush, Gadwall, Red-breasted Merganser and Reed Bunting and 22 more.
New in October26
- Dusky Thrush
- Gadwall
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Reed Bunting
- Brambling
- Common Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Rook
- Tundra Swan
- Red-necked Grebe
- Japanese Waxwing
- Hen Harrier
- Common Redpoll
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Merlin
- Horned Grebe
- Red Crossbill
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Pacific Loon
- Snow Goose
- Brent Goose
- Avocet
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
- Tree Pipit
- Lesser Whitethroat
Leaving after last month7
Residents
(45)Recorded all year
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanusLC
Recorded all year
Pied Wagtail
Motacilla albaLC
Recorded all year
Grey Heron
Ardea cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Carrion Crow
Corvus coroneLC
Recorded all year
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carboLC
Recorded all year
Great White Egret
Ardea albaLC
Recorded all year
Rock Dove
Columba liviaLC
Recorded all year
Little Egret
Egretta garzettaLC
Recorded all year
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthisLC
Recorded all year
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosLC
Recorded all year
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollisLC
Recorded all year
Japanese Wagtail
Motacilla grandisLC
Recorded all year
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinereaLC
Recorded all year
Long-tailed Tit
Aegithalos caudatusLC
Recorded all year
Blue Rock-thrush
Monticola solitariusLC
Recorded all year
Osprey
Pandion haliaetusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandariusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensisLC
Recorded all year
Moorhen
Gallinula chloropusLC
Recorded all year
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos majorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Nuthatch
Sitta europaeaLC
Recorded all year
Coal Tit
Periparus aterLC
Recorded all year
Kestrel
Falco tinnunculusLC
Recorded all year
Black-crowned Night-heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxLC
Recorded all year
Greater Scaup
Aythya marilaLC
Recorded all year
Marsh Tit
Poecile palustrisLC
Recorded all year
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Willow Tit
Poecile montanusLC
Recorded all year
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinusLC
Recorded all year
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytesLC
Recorded all year
Goldcrest
Regulus regulusLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Red-flanked Bluetail
Tarsiger cyanurusLC
Recorded all year
Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclusLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Scaly-breasted Munia
Lonchura punctulataLC
Recorded all year
Bullfinch
Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC
Recorded all year
Wryneck
Jynx torquillaLC
Recorded all year
Kittiwake
Rissa tridactylaVU
Regularly Sep–Jul
Crested Myna
Acridotheres cristatellusLC
Recorded all year
Eurasian Woodcock
Scolopax rusticolaLC
Regularly Oct–Aug
Muscovy Duck
Cairina moschataLC
Recorded all year
Summer visitors
(15)Arrives to breed; scarce or absent in winter
Black-tailed Gull
Larus crassirostrisLC
Recorded all year
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rusticaLC
Regularly Mar–Oct
Little Ringed Plover
Thinornis dubiusLC
Recorded all year
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Mar–Oct
Sand Martin
Riparia ripariaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopusLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Common Tern
Sterna hirundoLC
Regularly Mar–Dec
Hobby
Falco subbuteoLC
Regularly May–Oct
Fulmar
Fulmarus glacialisLC
Regularly Feb–Nov
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinusLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Rock Ptarmigan
Lagopus mutaLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Leach's Storm-petrel
Hydrobates leucorhousVU
Regularly Apr–Nov
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Dryobates minorLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Sooty Shearwater
Ardenna griseaNT
Regularly Apr–Oct
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatusLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Winter visitors
(60)Present outside the breeding season
Eurasian Teal
Anas creccaLC
Regularly Sep–May
Eurasian Wigeon
Mareca penelopeLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Coot
Fulica atraLC
Recorded all year
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucosLC
Recorded all year
Northern Pintail
Anas acutaLC
Recorded all year
Tufted Duck
Aythya fuligulaLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Northern Shoveler
Spatula clypeataLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Pochard
Aythya ferinaVU
Recorded all year
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundusLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Brambling
Fringilla montifringillaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Greenshank
Tringa nebulariaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatusLC
Recorded all year
Dunlin
Calidris alpinaLC
Regularly Aug–May
Dusky Thrush
Turdus eunomusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinagoLC
Regularly Aug–May
Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisusLC
Regularly Aug–May
Whooper Swan
Cygnus cygnusLC
Regularly Sep–Jun
Gadwall
Mareca streperaLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Recorded all year
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Sep–May
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Jul–May
White-tailed Sea-eagle
Haliaeetus albicillaLC
Regularly Aug–Feb
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulvaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Vega Gull
Larus vegaeLC
Regularly Sep–May
Common Merganser
Mergus merganserLC
Recorded all year
Temminck's Stint
Calidris temminckiiLC
Regularly Aug–May
Tundra Bean Goose
Anser serrirostrisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Black-necked Grebe
Podiceps nigricollisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Spotted Redshank
Tringa erythropusLC
Regularly Sep–May
Garganey
Spatula querquedulaLC
Regularly Aug–Jun
Swan Goose
Anser cygnoidesEN
Regularly Jul–May
Taiga Bean Goose
Anser fabalisLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Common Gull
Larus canusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Red Crossbill
Loxia curvirostraLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Curlew
Numenius arquataNT
Regularly Jul–May
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serratorLC
Regularly Oct–May
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus inornatusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsiiLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscusLC
Regularly Sep–Apr
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceusNT
Regularly Aug–Apr
Common Redpoll
Acanthis flammeaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Common Starling
Sturnus vulgarisLC
Regularly Sep–May
Snow Goose
Anser caerulescensLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Japanese Waxwing
Bombycilla japonicaNT
Regularly Oct–May
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Merlin
Falco columbariusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Regularly Aug–Apr
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritusVU
Regularly Oct–Apr
Bohemian Waxwing
Bombycilla garrulusLC
Regularly Oct–May
Brent Goose
Branta berniclaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Pacific Loon
Gavia pacificaLC
Regularly Oct–Jun
Avocet
Recurvirostra avosettaLC
Regularly Oct–May
Passage migrants
(11)Seen mainly in spring and autumn migration
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareolaLC
Regularly Feb–Dec
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Nov
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Calidris acuminataVU
Regularly Apr–Nov
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Ruff
Calidris pugnaxLC
Regularly Apr–Oct
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpresLC
Regularly Jan–Oct
Red Knot
Calidris canutusNT
Regularly Apr–Nov
Pectoral Sandpiper
Calidris melanotosLC
Regularly Aug–Oct
Arctic Jaeger
Stercorarius parasiticusLC
Regularly Apr–Nov
Little Stint
Calidris minutaLC
Regularly Apr–Jan
Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialisLC
Regularly Oct
Scarce visitors
(1)Recorded in some years but not every year
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made