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.

All 113 birds in September

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.

141113
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)49 families

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All 176 birds on the list

Showing 93–115 of 176 species

Bullfinch

Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhulaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sand Martin

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Goldcrest

Goldcrest

Regulus regulusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruff

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red Knot

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Swan Goose

Swan Goose

Anser cygnoidesEN

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus fuscusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Crane

Common Crane

Grus grusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Garganey

Garganey

Spatula querquedulaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Taiga Bean Goose

Taiga Bean Goose

Anser fabalisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wryneck

Wryneck

Jynx torquillaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane

Antigone canadensisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Tern

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Temminck's Stint

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckiiLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sooty Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Ardenna griseaNT

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

Acanthis flammeaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Tundra Bean Goose

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostrisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew

Curlew

Numenius arquataNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Scaly-breasted Munia

Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulataLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Calidris acuminataVU

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Starling

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgarisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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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

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