JNG: Winter Birding in Hokkaido | Japan Nature Guides

Winter Birding in Hokkaido

The entire winter period, from late October until early April is excellent for birding in Hokkaido. Although now known worldwide for its concentrations of wildlife in mid winter (especially February), that period, though spectacular, offers lower diversity than other times of year and at very much lower temperatures. More species can be seen during the early and late periods of the winter (October to December, and March and early April), when many birds are on the move through Hokkaido or around its coasts. The longer days and less severe weather are more conducive to spending long days in the field than during the mid-winter period, and these factors also facilitate finding more birds.

The actual species seen during any trip to Hokkaido will depend on: the month, the length of time spent in the field, the diversity of habitats visited, the regions of Hokkaido visited, and the weather. Some species are far more likely to be seen in one part of Hokkaido than another and this list is a composite covering three regions throughout the entire winter: the far north (Sarobetsu, Wakkanai and Cape Soya), the east (Akan, Shiretoko, Kushiro, Nemuro) and west central (Tokachi, Ishikari, Sapporo).

Species are given star rankings to indicate the likelihood of seeing them. These range from * to *****, with one star applying to species that are very likely to be seen and five stars to extreme rarities. Note that these rankings apply only to winter; for the same species different rankings may be relevant at other seasons. Columns are provided so that you may download and printout this checklist.

English Name	*Scientific Name*	*Rank*	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Hazel Grouse	Tetrastes bonasia	**
Taiga Bean Goose	Anser fabalis middendorffi	**
Tundra Bean Goose	Anser serrirostris	***
Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	**
Lesser White-fronted Goose	Anser erythropus	****
Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	****
Lesser Canada Goose	Branta hutchinsii	****
Brent Goose	Branta bernicla nigricans	**
Whooper Swan	Cygnus cygnus	*
Tundra (Bewick's) Swan	Cygnus columbianus bewickii	**
Gadwall	Anas strepera	**
Falcated Duck	Anas falcata	**
Eurasian Wigeon	Anas penelope	*
American Wigeon	Anas americana	****
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	**
Eastern Spot-billed Duck	Anas zonorhyncha	***
Northern Shoveler	Anas clypeata	**
Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	*
Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca	*
Green-winged Teal	Anas carolinensis	*****
Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	****
Common Pochard	Aythya ferina	***
Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula	**
Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	*
Steller's Eider	Polysticta stelleri	***
Harlequin Duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	*
Surf Scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	***
White-winged Scoter	Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri	*
Black Scoter	Melanitta americana	*
Long-tailed Duck	Clangula hyemalis	*
Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	****
Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	*
Smew	Mergus albellus	*
Goosander (Common Merganser)	Mergus merganser	*
Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	*
Red-throated Diver	Gavia stellata	**
Black-throated Diver	Gavia arctica	***
Pacific Diver	Gavia pacifica	**
White-billed Diver	Gavia adamsii	*****
Northern Fulmar	Fulmarus glacialis	***
Short-tailed Shearwarer	Puffinus tenuirostris	***
Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	**
Red-necked Grebe	Podiceps grisegena	**
Slavonian (Horned) Grebe	Podiceps auritus	***
Black-necked (Eared) Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis	**
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	**
Great White Egret	Casmerodius albus	**
Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	**
Temminck's Cormorant	Phalacrocorax capillatus	*
Pelagic Cormorant	Phalacrocorax pelagicus	*
Red-faced Cormorant	Phalacrocorax urile	***
Eurasian Kestrel	Falco tinninculus	***
Merlin	Falco columbarius	**
Gyr Falcon	Falco rusticolus	****
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus	**
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	****
Black-eared Kite	Milvus lineatus	*
White-tailed Sea Eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla	*
Steller's Sea Eagle	Haliaeetus pelagicus	*
Eastern Marsh Harrier	Circus spilonotus	***
Hen Harrier	Circus cyaneus	***
Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	**
Northern Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis	**
Eastern Buzzard	Buteo japonicus	*
Rough-legged Buzzard	Buteo lagopus	**
Mountain Hawk Eagle	Nisaetus nipalensis orientalis	**
Common Coot	Fulica atra	**
Red-crowned Crane	Grus japonensis	*
Solitary Snipe	Gallinago solitaria	**
Ruddy Turnstone	Arenaria interpres	***
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	***
Black-tailed Gull	Larus crassirostris	*
Common Gull	Larus canus kamtschatschensis	*
Glaucous-winged Gull	Larus glaucescens	*
Glaucous Gull	Larus hyperboreus	*
Iceland Gull	Larus glaucoides	*****
Vega Gull	Larus vegae	**
Slaty-backed Gull	Larus schistisagus	*
Black-headed Gull	Chroicocephalus ridibundus	**
Ross's Gull	Hydrocoloeus rosea	*****
Black-legged Kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	**
Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybrida	****
Pomarine Skua	Stercorarius pomarinus	**
Brünnich's Guillemot	Uria lomvia	**
Common Guillemot	Uria aalge	**
Pigeon Guillemot	Cepphus columba	***
Spectacled Guillemot	Cepphus carbo	**
Ancient Murrelet	Synthliboramphus antiquus	**
Least Auklet	Aethia pusilla	**
Crested Auklet	Aethia cristatella	**
Rhinoceros Auklet	Cerorhinca monocerata	**
Rock Dove	Columba livia	*
Oriental Turtle Dove	Streptopelia orientalis	**
Blakiston's Fish Owl	Bubo blakistoni	**
Ural Owl	Strix uralensis japonica	**
Short-eared Owl	Asio flammeus	**
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	***
Crested Kingfisher	Megaceryle lugubris	**
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker	Dendrocopos kizuki	*
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dryobates minor	***
White-backed Woodpecker	Dendrocopos leucotos	**
Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major	*
Black Woodpecker	Dryocopos martius	**
Grey-headed Woodpecker	Picus canus jessoensis	**
Great Grey Shrike	Lanius excubitor	***
Eurasian Jay	Garrulus glandarius brandtii	*
Spotted Nutcracker	Nucifraga caryocatactes	**
Carrion Crow	Corvus corone	*
Large-billed Crow	Corvus macrorhynchos	*
Northern Raven	Corvus corax	**
Bohemian Waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	***
Japanese Waxwing	Bombycilla japonica	***
Eastern Great Tit	Parus minor	*
Coal Tit	Periparus ater	*
Varied Tit	Poecile varius	**
Marsh Tit	Poecile palustris	*
Willow Tit	Poecile montanus	**
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	****
Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus	*
Eurasian Skylark	Alauda arvensis	***
Brown-eared Bulbul	Hypsipetes amaurotis	*
Japanese Bush Warbler	Cettia diphone	***
Goldcrest	Regulus regulus	*
Eurasian Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	*
Eurasian Nuthatch	Sitta europaea	*
Eurasian Treecreeper	Certhia familiaris	**
White-cheeked Starling	Sturnus cineraceus	**
Brown-headed Thrush	Turdus chrysolaus	***
Dusky Thrush	Turdus naumanni	*
Red-flanked Bluetail	Luscinia cyanura	***
Brown Dipper	Cinclus pallasii	*
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus	*
White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	*
Japanese Wagtail	Motacilla grandis	**
Buff-bellied Pipit	Anthus rubescens	***
Brambling	Fringilla montifringilla	**
Oriental Greenfinch	Carduelis sinica	*
Eurasian Siskin	Carduelis spinus	**
Common Redpoll	Carduelis flammea	**
Arctic Redpoll	Carduelis hornemanni	****
Asian Rosy Finch	Leucosticte arctoa	**
Long-tailed Rosefinch	Uragus sibiricus	***
Pallas's Rosefinch	Carpodacus roseus	***
Pine Grosbeak	Pinicola enucleator	***
Common Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	***
Eurasian Bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula griseiventris	*
Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes	**
Rustic Bunting	Emberiza rustica	***
Grey Bunting	Emberiza variabilis	***
Common Reed Bunting	Emberiza schoeniclus	***
Lapland Bunting	Calcarius lapponicus	***
Snow Bunting	Calcarius nivalis	***

Mammals Possible in Hokkaido in Winter

English Name	*Scientific Name*		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Red Fox	Vulpes vulpes	*
Northern Fur Seal	Callorhinus ursinus	***
Steller's Sea Lion	Eumetopia jubata	***
Harbour Seal	Phoca vitulina	*
Japanese Deer	Cervus nippon	*

References

Sites in east Hokkaido are described in detail in:

Brazil, M. A. 1987. A Birdwatcher's Guide to Japan. Kodansha International and the Wild Bird Society of Japan.

The birds themselves are illustrated, described, and their status and distribution outlined in:

Wild Bird Society of Japan. 1982. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan. Wild Bird Society of Japan; Tokyo.

Brazil, M. A. 1991. The Birds of Japan. Christopher Helm (A & C Black); London.

Brazil, M. A. 2009. Birds of East Asia. A&C Black; London.

Last updated: 20130625