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 116–138 of 176 species

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Rissa tridactylaVU

ResidentUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-throated Loon

Red-throated Loon

Gavia stellataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Aug

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

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Red Crossbill

Loxia curvirostraLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Jun

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Feb–Dec

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

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Yellow-browed Warbler

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Apr

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

Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialisLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Feb–Nov

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

Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsiiLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Hobby

Falco subbuteoLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Oct

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Oct–Aug

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

Crested Myna

Acridotheres cristatellusLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Purple Heron

Ardea purpureaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Sep

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

Pacific Loon

Gavia pacificaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Jun

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

Snow Goose

Anser caerulescensLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Mar–Jan

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

Roseate Tern

Sterna dougalliiLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Aug

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

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Jun

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

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Sep

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

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–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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