Japan bird checklist
662 bird species in 91 families have been recorded in Japan, according to eBird; about 400 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Japan right now
1Eurasian Tree Sparrow
2Black-crowned Night Heron
3Mallard
4Common Pochard
5Barn Swallow
6Eastern Cattle-Egret
7Eurasian Moorhen
8Little Egret
9Black-winged Stilt
10Great Egret
Japan bird checklist
662 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- Lesser Whistling-Duck
- Snow Goose
- Graylag Goose
- Swan Goose
- Greater White-fronted Goose
- Lesser White-fronted Goose
- Taiga Bean-Goose
- Tundra Bean-Goose
- Brant
- Cackling Goose
- Canada Goose
- Red-breasted Goose
- Mute Swan
- Black Swan
- Trumpeter Swan
- Tundra Swan
- Whooper Swan
- Ruddy Shelduck
- Common Shelduck
- Muscovy Duck
- Cotton Pygmy-Goose
- Mandarin Duck
- Baikal Teal
- Garganey
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- Falcated Duck
- Eurasian Wigeon
- American Wigeon
- Eastern Spot-billed Duck
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Red-crested Pochard
- Canvasback
- Common Pochard
- Ring-necked Duck
- Ferruginous Duck
- Baer's Pochard
- Tufted Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- Steller's Eider
- Common Eider
- Harlequin Duck
- Surf Scoter
- Velvet Scoter
- White-winged Scoter
- Stejneger's Scoter
- Black Scoter
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Smew
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Scaly-sided Merganser
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
New World Quail
- Northern Bobwhite
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Hazel Grouse
- Rock Ptarmigan
- Copper Pheasant
- Ring-necked Pheasant
- Green Pheasant
- Silver Pheasant
- Indian Peafowl
- Chinese Bamboo-Partridge
- Red Junglefowl
- Japanese Quail
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Black Wood-Pigeon
- Oriental Turtle-Dove
- Eurasian Collared-Dove
- Red Collared-Dove
- Asian Emerald Dove
- White-bellied Green-Pigeon
- Whistling Green-Pigeon
Cuckoos
- Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
- Asian Koel
- Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
- Northern Hawk-Cuckoo
- Lesser Cuckoo
- Indian Cuckoo
- Common Cuckoo
- Oriental Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Gray Nightjar
- Savanna Nightjar
Swifts
- White-throated Needletail
- Silver-backed Needletail
- Himalayan Swiftlet
- Pacific Swift
- House Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Brown-cheeked Rail
- Okinawa Rail
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Eurasian Coot
- Black-backed Swamphen
- Watercock
- White-breasted Waterhen
- Slaty-legged Crake
- Ruddy-breasted Crake
- Baillon's Crake
- Swinhoe's Rail
Cranes
- Siberian Crane
- Sandhill Crane
- White-naped Crane
- Demoiselle Crane
- Red-crowned Crane
- Common Crane
- Hooded Crane
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
- Pied Avocet
Oystercatchers
- Eurasian Oystercatcher
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- European Golden-Plover
- American Golden-Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Eurasian Dotterel
- Common Ringed Plover
- Semipalmated Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Long-billed Plover
- Northern Lapwing
- Gray-headed Lapwing
- Oriental Plover
- Siberian Sand-Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
- Kentish Plover
Painted-Snipes
- Greater Painted-Snipe
Jacanas
- Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Sandpipers and Allies
- Bristle-thighed Curlew
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Little Curlew
- Far Eastern Curlew
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Black-tailed Godwit
- Hudsonian Godwit
- Asian Dowitcher
- Short-billed Dowitcher
- Long-billed Dowitcher
- Jack Snipe
- Eurasian Woodcock
- Amami Woodcock
- Solitary Snipe
- Swinhoe's Snipe
- Pin-tailed Snipe
- Latham's Snipe
- Common Snipe
- Red Phalarope
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Terek Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Gray-tailed Tattler
- Wandering Tattler
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Redshank
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Nordmann's Greenshank
- Spotted Redshank
- Common Greenshank
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Great Knot
- Red Knot
- Ruff
- Broad-billed Sandpiper
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Stilt Sandpiper
- Temminck's Stint
- Long-toed Stint
- Red-necked Stint
- Spoon-billed Sandpiper
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Rock Sandpiper
- Baird's Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Least Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Western Sandpiper
Buttonquail
- Barred Buttonquail
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Oriental Pratincole
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
- South Polar Skua
Auks, Murres, and Puffins
- Rhinoceros Auklet
- Tufted Puffin
- Horned Puffin
- Least Auklet
- Crested Auklet
- Parakeet Auklet
- Long-billed Murrelet
- Spectacled Guillemot
- Pigeon Guillemot
- Thick-billed Murre
- Common Murre
- Ancient Murrelet
- Japanese Murrelet
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Little Gull
- Ross's Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Red-legged Kittiwake
- Ivory Gull
- Sabine's Gull
- Saunders's Gull
- Slender-billed Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Silver Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Brown-headed Gull
- Laughing Gull
- Franklin's Gull
- Pallas's Gull
- Black-tailed Gull
- Common Gull
- Short-billed Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Western Gull
- American Herring Gull
- Vega Gull
- Mongolian Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull
- Slaty-backed Gull
- Iceland Gull
- Blue-billed White-Tern
- Brown Noddy
- Black Noddy
- Aleutian Tern
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Little Tern
- Least Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- Black Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Arctic Tern
- Common Tern
- Black-naped Tern
- Roseate Tern
- Great Crested Tern
- Chinese Crested Tern
Flamingos
- Chilean Flamingo
- Greater Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Great Crested Grebe
- Eared Grebe
Tropicbirds
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Red-tailed Tropicbird
Loons
- Red-throated Loon
- Arctic Loon
- Pacific Loon
- Yellow-billed Loon
Albatrosses
- Laysan Albatross
- Black-footed Albatross
- Short-tailed Albatross
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Wilson's Storm-Petrel
Northern Storm-Petrels
- Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
- Leach's Storm-Petrel
- Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel
- Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
- Matsudaira's Storm-Petrel
- Tristram's Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Northern Fulmar
- Kermadec Petrel
- Murphy's Petrel
- Providence Petrel
- Hawaiian Petrel
- White-necked Petrel
- Bonin Petrel
- Black-winged Petrel
- Stejneger's Petrel
- Bulwer's Petrel
- Tahiti Petrel
- Streaked Shearwater
- Flesh-footed Shearwater
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater
- Buller's Shearwater
- Sooty Shearwater
- Short-tailed Shearwater
- Christmas Shearwater
- Manx Shearwater
- Bannerman's Shearwater
- Newell's Shearwater
- Bryan's Shearwater
- Tropical Shearwater
Storks
- Black Stork
- Oriental Stork
Frigatebirds
- Lesser Frigatebird
- Great Frigatebird
Boobies and Gannets
- Red-footed Booby
- Brown Booby
- Cocos Booby
- Masked Booby
- Nazca Booby
Cormorants and Shags
- Red-faced Cormorant
- Pelagic Cormorant
- Great Cormorant
- Japanese Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Black-headed Ibis
- Crested Ibis
- Eurasian Spoonbill
- Black-faced Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Eurasian Bittern
- Black Bittern
- Cinnamon Bittern
- Schrenck's Bittern
- Yellow Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Malayan Night Heron
- Japanese Night Heron
- Pacific Reef-Heron
- Chinese Egret
- Little Egret
- Little Heron
- Indian Pond-Heron
- Chinese Pond-Heron
- Javan Pond-Heron
- Eastern Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Medium Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
Pelicans
- Great White Pelican
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Dalmatian Pelican
New World Vultures
- Turkey Vulture
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black-winged Kite
- Oriental Honey-buzzard
- Cinereous Vulture
- Crested Serpent-Eagle
- Mountain Hawk-Eagle
- Greater Spotted Eagle
- Imperial Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Japanese Sparrowhawk
- Chinese Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Sparrowhawk
- Eurasian Goshawk
- Eastern Marsh Harrier
- Hen Harrier
- Northern Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Pied Harrier
- Black Kite
- Brahminy Kite
- White-tailed Eagle
- Bald Eagle
- Steller's Sea-Eagle
- Gray-faced Buzzard
- Harris's Hawk
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Upland Buzzard
- Eastern Buzzard
Owls
- Japanese Scops-Owl
- Ryukyu Scops-Owl
- Oriental Scops-Owl
- Eurasian Eagle-Owl
- Blakiston's Fish-Owl
- Ural Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Short-eared Owl
- Boreal Owl
- Northern Boobook
Hoopoes
- Common Hoopoe
Bee-eaters
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Kingfishers
- Common Kingfisher
- Ruddy Kingfisher
- Black-capped Kingfisher
- Collared Kingfisher
- Crested Kingfisher
Rollers
- Dollarbird
Woodpeckers
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker
- Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
- Okinawa Woodpecker
- White-backed Woodpecker
- Great Spotted Woodpecker
- Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
- Japanese Woodpecker
- Gray-headed Woodpecker
- Black Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Amur Falcon
- Merlin
- Eurasian Hobby
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Cockatoos
- Cockatiel
- Little Corella
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Old World Parrots
- Rose-ringed Parakeet
- Budgerigar
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Fischer's Lovebird
New World and African Parrots
- Green Parakeet
Pittas
- Fairy Pitta
Cuckooshrikes
- Ryukyu Minivet
- Ashy Minivet
- Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Old World Orioles
- Black-naped Oriole
Woodswallows, Bellmagpies, and Allies
- Pied Butcherbird
Drongos
- Black Drongo
- Ashy Drongo
- Hair-crested Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers
- Black Paradise-Flycatcher
Shrikes
- Tiger Shrike
- Bull-headed Shrike
- Red-backed Shrike
- Isabelline Shrike
- Brown Shrike
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Northern Shrike
- Chinese Gray Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Eurasian Jay
- Lidth's Jay
- Azure-winged Magpie
- Red-billed Blue-Magpie
- Oriental Magpie
- Northern Nutcracker
- Eurasian Jackdaw
- Daurian Jackdaw
- House Crow
- Rook
- Carrion Crow
- Large-billed Crow
- Common Raven
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Coal Tit
- Yellow-bellied Tit
- Iriomote Tit
- Varied Tit
- Owston's Tit
- Marsh Tit
- Willow Tit
- Asian Tit
Penduline-Tits
- Chinese Penduline-Tit
Larks
- Eurasian Skylark
- Horned Lark
- Mongolian Short-toed Lark
- Bimaculated Lark
- Mongolian Lark
- Asian Short-toed Lark
Bearded Reedling
- Bearded Reedling
Cisticolas and Allies
- Plain Prinia
- Zitting Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Booted Warbler
- Black-browed Reed Warbler
- Sedge Warbler
- Manchurian Reed Warbler
- Blyth's Reed Warbler
- Oriental Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler
- Marsh Grassbird
- Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
- Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler
- Pleske's Grasshopper Warbler
- Lanceolated Warbler
Swallows
- Bank Swallow
- Pacific Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Siberian House-Martin
- Asian House-Martin
- Eastern Red-rumped Swallow
Bulbuls
- Brown-eared Bulbul
- Light-vented Bulbul
Leaf Warblers
- Wood Warbler
- Yellow-browed Warbler
- Chinese Leaf Warbler
- Pallas's Leaf Warbler
- Gansu Leaf Warbler
- Radde's Warbler
- Tickell's Leaf Warbler
- Dusky Warbler
- Willow Warbler
- Common Chiffchaff
- Eastern Crowned Warbler
- Ijima's Leaf Warbler
- Two-barred Warbler
- Pale-legged Leaf Warbler
- Sakhalin Leaf Warbler
- Japanese Leaf Warbler
- Arctic Warbler
- Kamchatka Leaf Warbler
- Claudia's Leaf Warbler
Bush Warblers and Allies
- Asian Stubtail
- Japanese Bush Warbler
- Manchurian Bush Warbler
Long-tailed Tits
- Long-tailed Tit
Sylviid Warblers and Allies
- Lesser Whitethroat
- Greater Whitethroat
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Bonin White-eye
- Chestnut-flanked White-eye
- Warbling White-eye
Laughingthrushes and Allies
- Red-billed Leiothrix
- Chinese Hwamei
- Moustached Laughingthrush
- White-browed Laughingthrush
- Masked Laughingthrush
Kinglets
- Goldcrest
Nuthatches
- Eurasian Nuthatch
Treecreepers
- Eurasian Treecreeper
Wrens
- Eurasian Wren
Dippers
- Brown Dipper
Starlings
- Asian Glossy Starling
- European Starling
- Rosy Starling
- Daurian Starling
- Chestnut-cheeked Starling
- White-shouldered Starling
- Red-billed Starling
- White-cheeked Starling
- Common Myna
- Javan Myna
- Crested Myna
- Golden-breasted Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- White's Thrush
- Amami Thrush
- Siberian Thrush
- Mistle Thrush
- Song Thrush
- Chinese Blackbird
- Redwing
- Gray-backed Thrush
- Japanese Thrush
- Pale Thrush
- Eyebrowed Thrush
- Izu Thrush
- Brown-headed Thrush
- Fieldfare
- Black-throated Thrush
- Red-throated Thrush
- Dusky Thrush
- Naumann's Thrush
- American Robin
Old World Flycatchers
- Gray-streaked Flycatcher
- Dark-sided Flycatcher
- Ferruginous Flycatcher
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Oriental Magpie-Robin
- Fujian Niltava
- Taiwan Vivid Niltava
- Blue-and-white Flycatcher
- Verditer Flycatcher
- European Robin
- Rufous-tailed Robin
- Japanese Robin
- Izu Robin
- Ryukyu Robin
- Okinawa Robin
- Siberian Blue Robin
- Bluethroat
- Siberian Rubythroat
- Chinese Rubythroat
- Red-flanked Bluetail
- Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
- Narcissus Flycatcher
- Ryukyu Flycatcher
- Mugimaki Flycatcher
- Taiga Flycatcher
- Red-breasted Flycatcher
- European Pied Flycatcher
- Rufous-backed Redstart
- Common Redstart
- Black Redstart
- Daurian Redstart
- White-throated Rock-Thrush
- Blue Rock-Thrush
- Whinchat
- Amur Stonechat
- Gray Bushchat
- Northern Wheatear
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Desert Wheatear
- Pied Wheatear
Waxwings
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Japanese Waxwing
Waxbills and Allies
- Java Sparrow
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- White-rumped Munia
- Tricolored Munia
- Chestnut Munia
- White-headed Munia
- Red Avadavat
Whydahs and Indigobirds
- Pin-tailed Whydah
Accentors
- Alpine Accentor
- Siberian Accentor
- Japanese Accentor
Old World Sparrows
- Russet Sparrow
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Forest Wagtail
- Gray Wagtail
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- Eastern Yellow Wagtail
- Citrine Wagtail
- Japanese Wagtail
- White Wagtail
- Richard's Pipit
- Blyth's Pipit
- Meadow Pipit
- Tree Pipit
- Olive-backed Pipit
- Pechora Pipit
- Red-throated Pipit
- Water Pipit
- Siberian Pipit
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- Brambling
- Hawfinch
- Yellow-billed Grosbeak
- Japanese Grosbeak
- Common Rosefinch
- Long-tailed Rosefinch
- Pallas's Rosefinch
- Pine Grosbeak
- Eurasian Bullfinch
- Asian Rosy-Finch
- Oriental Greenfinch
- Redpoll
- Red Crossbill
- White-winged Crossbill
- Eurasian Siskin
Longspurs and Snow Buntings
- Lapland Longspur
- Snow Bunting
Old World Buntings
- Black-headed Bunting
- Red-headed Bunting
- Chestnut-eared Bunting
- Meadow Bunting
- Pine Bunting
- Yellow-throated Bunting
- Ochre-rumped Bunting
- Pallas's Bunting
- Reed Bunting
- Yellow-breasted Bunting
- Little Bunting
- Rustic Bunting
- Yellow Bunting
- Black-faced Bunting
- Masked Bunting
- Chestnut Bunting
- Yellow-browed Bunting
- Tristram's Bunting
- Gray Bunting
New World Sparrows
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Golden-crowned Sparrow
- Savannah Sparrow
New World Warblers
- Common Yellowthroat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Wilson's Warbler
Most common birds in Japan
Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Japan’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Common PochardAythya ferina
- Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
- Eastern Cattle-EgretArdea coromanda
- Eurasian MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Great EgretArdea alba
- Gray HeronArdea cinerea
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Gray WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Pacific Golden-PloverPluvialis fulva
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Common RedshankTringa totanus
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- White-cheeked StarlingSpodiopsar cineraceus
- Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
Largest bird families in Japan
Among its regular birds.
- Sandpipers and Allies38
- Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl37
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers21
- Old World Flycatchers19
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns16
- Old World Buntings13
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites12
- Finches, Euphonias, and Allies12
Reported in the last 30 days
362 species reported to eBird in Japan in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Black-winged Stilt, Eastern Cattle-Egret, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Eurasian Moorhen, Black-crowned Night Heron, Oriental Turtle-Dove, White-breasted Waterhen, Gray Wagtail, Whiskered Tern, Purple Heron, Pacific Swallow, Little Egret, Long-toed Stint, Common Redshank, Large-billed Crow, Zitting Cisticola, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Ryukyu Scops-Owl, Black-faced Spoonbill, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, Gray Heron, Common Pochard, Common Greenshank, White-cheeked Starling, Mallard, Common Sandpiper, Greater Scaup, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Egret, Brown-eared Bulbul, Gray-faced Buzzard, Siberian Sand-Plover, White-tailed Eagle, Brown Dipper, Asian Tit, White Wagtail, Streaked Shearwater, Black-tailed Gull, Japanese Wagtail, …
Get to know some of them
Gray Heron
Common Greenshank
Greater Scaup
Gray Wagtail
Pacific Golden-Plover
White Wagtail
Common Redshank
Great Cormorant
Whiskered Tern
Rock Pigeon
Large-billed Crow
Green-winged Teal
Common Sandpiper
Eurasian Coot