Amami Woodcock

Japanese name: アマミヤマシギ
Chinese name: 奄美山鷸
English name: Amami Woodcock
Origin: Breeds mainly on Amami Oshima, Kakeromajima, and Tokunoshima in the Amami Islands; winter visitor to Okinawajima

The Amami Woodcock is a nocturnal member of the woodcock group and a resident bird in the Amami Islands, where it can be seen year-round on Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima. Although occasionally observed on Okinawajima, it had been considered unsuited for long-distance flight, and no breeding activity had been recorded there. The origin of individuals visiting Okinawajima remained unclear until January 2023, when three birds were captured in Kunigami and Ogimi villages, fitted with GPS transmitters, and tracked. One of these was recorded arriving at Amami Oshima in March, providing the first evidence that the species can travel back and forth between the two islands.

Reference: Amami Woodcock — First Confirmed Crossing Over the Sea (Japanese news)

During winter, the Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) also visits Okinawajima, making identification challenging. Key distinguishing features (based on data from Tokunoshima Isen Town Museum) include:

1. Longer legs → Amami Woodcock
2. Reddish-brown plumage → Eurasian Woodcock
3. Narrower spacing between the first and second head stripes → Amami Woodcock
4. Eye-stripe and sub-ocular stripe parallel → Amami Woodcock (non-parallel → Eurasian Woodcock)
5. On the Amami Islands, breeding season presence can be used for identification (Amami Woodcock year-round; Eurasian Woodcock October–May only)

Lower eye position aligned with the beak’s extension → Amami Woodcock (higher eye position → Eurasian Woodcock)

Woodcocks tend to fly off quickly when illuminated by a flashlight, so in winter on Okinawajima, it is difficult to determine the species without photographic evidence.