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 162–176 of 176 species

Black Swan

Black Swan

Cygnus atratusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul–Mar

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

Budgerigar

Melopsittacus undulatusLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauriLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep

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

Ruddy Shelduck

Tadorna ferrugineaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb–Apr

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

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Feb

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

Greylag Goose

Anser anserLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Dec–Jan

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

Fieldfare

Turdus pilarisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb–Mar

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

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American Herring Gull

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianusLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Eurasian Collared Dove

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaoctoLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Aug

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

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybitaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Oct

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

Horned Lark

Eremophila alpestrisLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Feb

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

Chestnut Munia

Lonchura atricapillaLC

ScarceRare
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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