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 139–161 of 176 species

Avocet

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosettaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–May

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

Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus mutaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceusNT

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotosLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Leach's Storm-petrel

Leach's Storm-petrel

Hydrobates leucorhousVU

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Apr–Nov

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

Iceland Gull

Larus glaucoidesLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jan–Mar

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

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschataLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Jan

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

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Rough-legged Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk

Buteo lagopusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Mar

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

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Long-eared Owl

Asio otusLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Nov–Jul

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

Snow Bunting

Plectrophenax nivalisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

Grey Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicariusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar–Aug

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

Arctic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minorLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-crested Pochard

Red-crested Pochard

Netta rufinaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Oriental Scops-owl

Oriental Scops-owl

Otus suniaLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon niloticaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun

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

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellarisLC

ResidentRare

Regularly Nov–Jul

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

Common Raven

Corvus coraxLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jan–Mar

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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