Amami Woodcock

Scolopax mira

Furtive, large, ground-dwelling shorebird endemic to the broadleaf forests of northern Okinawa Island and the Amami Islands. Similar to Eurasian Woodcock but darker overall, with notably longer legs and a thicker bill base. Patch of bare pinkish skin around the eye is diagnostic but absent in winter. Black bands on the top of the head not as thick and conspicuous as in Eurasian, which is a winter visitor. Like other woodcocks, displays both on the ground and in circular aerial displays. Flushes slowly and directly ahead.

Taxonomy

The Amami woodcock was originally described as a subspecies of the Eurasian woodcock, due to a juvenile that resembled the Eurasian woodcock in coloration. Later, some argued that the Amami woodcock was a distinct species—Kobayashi in 1979 and Cramp & Simmons in 1983. Comparison between the two species revealed their distinct physical features, and led to the emergence of the Amami woodcock as a distinct species.

Scientific name
Scolopax mira
Authority
Hartert, EJO, 1916
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Scolopax

Range and habitat

Breeding range
PAL : Amami-Oshima to Tokunoshima (n Ryukyu Is., s Japan)
Non-breeding range
s to Okinawa (c Ryukyu Is., s Japan)
Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Other Birds

Crested Pigeon

Crested Pigeon

Ocyphaps lophotes

A common gray pigeon that is easily identified by the long pointed crest on the top of its head. Mostly pale gray with bright iridescence on wings. Feeds only on the ground. Takes flight with noisy wing-claps, and in flight has a wing-whistle which makes it sound like a wind-up toy. Common in open habitats and is often present in suburban areas.

Short-tailed Batis

Short-tailed Batis

Batis mixta

Males have the typical batis pattern of black, white, and gray. Females have a more unusual pattern, with rufous in the wing and either a rufous or gray wash across the breast. Both sexes have a narrow pale eyebrow and orange or reddish eyes. Found in forest at low and middle elevations, often in pairs. Very similar to Dark Batis, but there is no known overlap in range. Males are similar to Chinspot and Pale Batises, but are distinguished by the darker eye and shorter tail. Females are distinctive. The song is variable, but is usually a long series of identical low-pitched tooting notes. 

Long-billed Hermit

Long-billed Hermit

Phaethornis longirostris

Spectacular large hummingbird of humid tropical lowlands. Favors shady forest understory and edges, especially with patches of Heliconia flowers. Males sit and sing tirelessly from perches in the understory while pumping their tail. When feeding, hovers briefly with long white tail streamers held nearly vertical and shoots off with an explosive squeak. Note the striped face, very long, arched bill, and rather drab plumage. Unlike many hummingbirds, hermits do not defend a patch of flowers but zip between widely scattered flowers, a strategy known as traplining (like it is checking widely scattered nectar traps).

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