Birds in Japan
176 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024
Our list for Japan has 176 bird species recorded regularly there: 47 residents, 23 summer visitors, 74 winter visitors, 28 passage migrants and 4 scarce visitors.
The list comes from 2.4 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.
Birds to see in Japan in September
113 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Resident
Grey Heron
Resident
Carrion Crow
Resident
Great White Egret
Resident
Pied Wagtail
Resident
Rock Dove
Resident
Great Cormorant
Resident
Little Egret
Resident
Arriving in September: Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Northern Shoveler, Vega Gull, Whooper Swan, Black-necked Grebe, Oriental Honey-buzzard and 11 more.
Through the year
Species recorded regularly in Japan each month: most in April (141), fewest in July (89). Choose a month to see its birds.
Get a monthly guide to birds in Japan
Find out which birds are visiting your area this month, with seasonal tips and garden advice
Get Your Free DigestAll 176 birds on the list
Showing 70–92 of 176 species
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Regularly Nov–Mar
Sanderling
Calidris albaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Psittacula krameriLC
Recorded all year
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponicaNT
Regularly Mar–Oct
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchusLC
Regularly Sep–Oct
Long-tailed Duck
Clangula hyemalisVU
Regularly Nov–Mar
Common Shelduck
Tadorna tadornaLC
Regularly Nov–May
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Redshank
Tringa totanusLC
Recorded all year
Rook
Corvus frugilegusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Mandarin Duck
Aix galericulataLC
Recorded all year
Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifronsLC
Regularly Sep–May
Tundra Swan
Cygnus columbianusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodiaLC
Regularly Jul–May
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropusLC
Regularly Jul–May
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Haematopus ostralegusNT
Recorded all year
Red-necked Grebe
Podiceps grisegenaLC
Regularly Oct–Jul
Japanese Waxwing
Bombycilla japonicaNT
Regularly Oct–May
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneusLC
Regularly Oct–Apr
Mute Swan
Cygnus olorLC
Recorded all year
Treecreeper
Certhia familiarisLC
Recorded all year
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosaNT
Regularly Apr–Nov
Eurasian Siskin
Spinus spinusLC
Regularly Sep–Jul
Frequently Asked Questions
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