Japan Ramsar wetland
Shunkunitai
208 bird species recorded; the most from May to June and in August.
NEXT-EXIT · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
83 species in January.96 species in February.80 species in March.81 species in April.121 species in May.130 species in June.106 species in July.124 species in August.107 species in September.96 species in October.94 species in November.81 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
VU
NT
VUVU
NT
VUVU
NT
NT
NT
NT
NT
NT
VUVUNT
NT
VUNT
NTNT
VU
NT
VUVUNTNTVUVUNTVUVUNT
VU
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
208 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 208Speciesrecorded more than once
- 131Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 11ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 15,872Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 11Raptors
- 1Owls
- 41Waders
- 21Gulls & seabirds
- 27Ducks & geese
- 11Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 76Songbirds
- 19Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 208 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- White-tailed EagleHaliaeetus albicilla
- Steller's Sea-eagleHaliaeetus pelagicusVU
- Japanese BuzzardButeo japonicus
- Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- European HobbyFalco subbuteo
- Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Eastern Marsh-harrierCircus spilonotus
Owls1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders41 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Gray-tailed TattlerTringa brevipes
- Red-necked StintCalidris ruficollisNT
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusNT
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Bar-tailed godwitLimosa lapponicaNT
- Charadrius mongolusCharadrius mongolus
- Far Eastern CurlewNumenius madagascariensis
- Great KnotCalidris tenuirostris
- Terek SandpiperXenus cinereus
- RedshankTringa totanus
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
- Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
- Black-tailed GodwitLimosa limosaNT
- Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticola
- Spotted RedshankTringa erythropus
- Sharp-tailed SandpiperCalidris acuminataVU
- Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Kentish PloverCharadrius alexandrinus
- Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Broad-billed SandpiperCalidris falcinellusVU
- Asian DowitcherLimnodromus semipalmatusNT
- Temminck's StintCalidris temminckii
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Grey (Red) PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
- Little StintCalidris minuta
- Common SnipeGallinago gallinago
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius
- Spoon-billed SandpiperCalidris pygmaeaCR
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Eurasian CurlewNumenius arquataNT
- Wandering (Alaskan) TattlerTringa incana
Gulls & seabirds21 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Slaty-backed GullLarus schistisagus
- Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
- Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens
- Common GullLarus canus
- Vega GullLarus vegae
- Spectacled GuillemotCepphus carbo
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Rhinoceros AukletCerorhinca monocerata
- Pacific LoonGavia pacifica
- Black-legged kittiwakeRissa tridactylaVU
- Ancient MurreletSynthliboramphus antiquus
- Common MurreUria aalge
- Brünnich's GuillemotUria lomvia
- Black-throated DiverGavia arctica
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Cepphus columbaCepphus columba
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
Ducks & geese27 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Whooper SwanCygnus cygnus
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- American ScoterMelanitta americanaNT
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Harlequin DuckHistrionicus histrionicus
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Falcated DuckMareca falcata
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Stejneger's ScoterMelanitta stejnegeri
- Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
- Brent GooseBranta bernicla
- SmewMergellus albellus
- GadwallMareca strepera
- Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
- Chinese Spot-billed DuckAnas zonorhyncha
- Taiga Bean GooseAnser fabalis
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
- Tundra Bean GooseAnser serrirostris
- Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea
- Pelagic CormorantPhalacrocorax pelagicus
- Red-necked GrebePodiceps grisegena
- Japanese CormorantPhalacrocorax capillatus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
- Red-faced CormorantPhalacrocorax urile
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Red-crowned CraneGrus japonensisVU
Songbirds76 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchos
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone
- Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
- Cinereous TitParus cinereus
- Marsh TitPoecile palustris
- Coal TitPeriparus ater
- Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
- Grey-capped GreenfinchChloris sinica
- Brown-eared BulbulHypsipetes amaurotis
- White WagtailMotacilla alba
- Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
- Japanese Bush WarblerHorornis diphone
- Turdus eunomusTurdus eunomus
- Willow TitPoecile montanus
- Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
- Stejneger's StonechatSaxicola stejnegeri
- Masked buntingEmberiza personata
- SkylarkAlauda arvensis
- Black-browed Reed WarblerAcrocephalus bistrigiceps
- Common Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
- BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
- Long-tailed RosefinchCarpodacus sibiricus
- Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus
- Chestnut-cheeked StarlingAgropsar philippensis
- Eastern Crowned Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus coronatus
- Sakhalin Leaf-warblerPhylloscopus borealoides
- Siberian RubythroatLuscinia calliope
- HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
- Brown-headed ThrushTurdus chrysolaus
- Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurus
- Asian Rosy-finchLeucosticte arctoa
- Sakhalin Grasshopper WarblerLocustella amnicola
- Japanese RobinErithacus akahige
- Middendorff's Grasshopper-warblerLocustella ochotensis
- BramblingFringilla montifringilla
- Lanceolated WarblerLocustella lanceolata
- Muscicapa latirostrisMuscicapa latirostris
- Narcissus FlycatcherFicedula narcissina
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Olive-backed PipitAnthus hodgsoni
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
- Poecile variusPoecile varius
- Bull-headed ShrikeLanius bucephalus
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- White's ThrushZoothera aurea
- Meadow BuntingEmberiza cioides
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis
- Grey BuntingEmberiza variabilis
- Siberian Blue RobinLuscinia cyane
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Passer cinnamomeusPasser cinnamomeus
- Kamchatka Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus examinandus
- White-cheeked StarlingSpodiopsar cineraceus
- Blue-and-white FlycatcherCyanoptila cyanomelana
- Northern NutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactes
- Rustic BuntingEmberiza rusticaNT
- Brown DipperCinclus pallasii
- Zosterops japonicusZosterops japonicus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- Asian House MartinDelichon dasypus
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
- Pine BuntingEmberiza leucocephalos
- Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata
- Asian StubtailUrosphena squameiceps
- Eyebrowed thrushTurdus obscurus
- Dark-sided FlycatcherMuscicapa sibirica
- Japanese GrosbeakEophona personata
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Yellow-breasted BuntingEmberiza aureolaCR
- Japanese AccentorPrunella rubida
- Oriental Reed WarblerAcrocephalus orientalis
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
Other birds19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
- Japanese Pygmy WoodpeckerYungipicus kizuki
- White-backed WoodpeckerDendrocopos leucotos
- Oriental Turtle DoveStreptopelia orientalis
- Common CuckooCuculus canorus
- Pacific SwiftApus pacificus
- White-bellied Green-PigeonTreron sieboldii
- Oriental CuckooCuculus optatus
- WryneckJynx torquilla
- Needle-tailed SwiftHirundapus caudacutus
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Eastern Water RailRallus indicus
- Hazel GrouseTetrastes bonasia
- Black WoodpeckerDryocopus martius
- CootFulica atra
- Grey-headed WoodpeckerPicus canus
- Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
- Lesser Spotted WoodpeckerDryobates minor
- Crested KingfisherMegaceryle lugubris
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from May to June and in August.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan-2°/-4°46 mm
- Feb-2°/-6°39 mm
- Mar1°/-3°66 mm
- Apr4°/1°70 mm
- May8°/4°97 mm
- Jun12°/9°99 mm
- Jul16°/13°118 mm
- Aug19°/16°132 mm
- Sep18°/15°128 mm
- Oct14°/10°118 mm
- Nov8°/4°81 mm
- Dec2°/-1°68 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Shunkunitai.
Shunkunitai is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Japan.
208 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 15,872 open records.
The most recorded are the Large-billed Crow, the Black Kite and the White-tailed Eagle.
77 species come for the summer, 50 for the winter and 4 only pass through.
11 are threatened worldwide, including Steller's Sea-eagle, Red-crowned Crane and Grey Plover.
The most species are recorded from May to June and in August.
Get there and watch
- レストランホテル ルピナスplace to stay · 10 km · 1 within 10 km
- Nemuronearest town · 13 km in a straight line
- Nakashibetsu Airport (SHB)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 50 km in a straight lineCar hire at KUH airport (Kushiro)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1visitor centres within 6 km
- 1car parks within 3 km
- 1restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 1places to stay within 10 kmレストランホテル ルピナス
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- campsites within 10 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Shunkunitai.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas2 mountains within 25 kmMount Kinchaku · 11 kmMount Taka · 15 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Shunkunitai
Japan
- 86Birdyas Score
- 208Species
- 131Migrants
- 11Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q11513444) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 15,872 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Islandyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit