Species information
Scientific name: Scolopax rusticola
Japanese name: ヤマシギ
Chinese name: 山鷸
English name: Eurasian woodcock
Origin: Widely distributed across Eurasia, breeding in middle latitudes in summer and wintering in southern areas; it is a winter visitor in the Ryukyu Islands.
Ecology and description
The Eurasian woodcock can be observed in the Ryukyu Islands from late September to March of the following year, arriving to winter from regions such as Hokkaido, Japan. On Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima, the endemic resident Amami woodcock (Scolopax mira) also inhabits these islands, and a few Amami woodcocks may arrive in the northern part of Okinawajima during winter. Therefore, during winter in these areas, you may see both the Eurasian woodcock and the Amami woodcock, requiring keen observation to distinguish between the two species of woodcocks.
For identification features, please refer to: Amami woodcock
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
The Eurasian woodcock can be seen from September to March in the forests and grasslands of Okinawajima. During our 【Herping】 tour, there is an opportunity to observe this species in the Yambaru Discovery Forest.
