What is Japan's national bird?
Wildlife of Japan
Over 600 species of bird have been recorded in Japan and more than 250 of these breed. A number of birds are endemic including the Japanese woodpecker ("Picus awokera"), copper pheasant ("Syrmaticus soemmerringii") and Japan's national bird, the green pheasant ("Phasianus versicolor"). Several species are unique to the smaller islands including the Okinawa rail ("Gallirallus okinawae"), Izu thrush ("Turdus celaenops") and Bonin white-eye ("Apalopteron familiare "). Most of the non-endemic birds are shared with China but a few originate in Siberia or south-east Asia.
Japanese night heron
The Japanese night heron is usually found in the Philippines during the winter, but is can also be found in other East Asian countries like Korea, southern China, and Russia. It arrives at its breeding grounds in Japan between March and June, and it leaves between September and November for the Philippines. The Japanese night heron tends to migrate in a mixed flock of more than 1,000 other herons, including the black-crowned night heron. The Japanese night heron is a highly migratory species and has some dispersal tendencies. During its migration, it has been reported to sometimes overshoot its destination, the Philippines, and arrive at Indonesia and Palau instead.