I Finally Found the Yanbaru Kuina

When I tell people I am a nature photographer, they often ask me if I have ever seen a Yanbaru kuina. Friends are always so excited to tell me that they found a Yanbaru kuina in central Okinawa. I feel bad telling them the bad news. More than likely, they found a common moorhen. The common moorhen is often mistaken for the Yanbaru kuina.

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The Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) has a bright red head shield, yellow legs with distinctive white feathers underneath. The Common moorhen is found near marshes, local parks and small rivers. This bird is very common in Okinawa

  • Scientific name:  Gallinula chloropus
  • Common Name: Common moorhen
  • Distribution:  Okinawan wide
  • Habitat: City parks, rivers and creeks 
  • Diet: Vegetation and small aquatic animals 
  • Average Size:   30 to 37 cm

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The Difference:  The Yanbaru kuina ( Okinawa rail ) has an orange beak with bright orange legs. The underneath is black with white bars.

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The Yanbaru kuina is a flightless bird found in northern Okinawa. It is a protected species and declared a living natural treasure. It is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species.  In 2012 populations of this endemic bird were estimated at 1500 by the Environment Ministry.  As of October 2016 populations have declined to 480 mature individuals according to IUCN assessment.

  • Scientific name:  Hypotaenidia okinawae
  • Common Name: Okinawa Rail
  • Japanese Name: Yanbaru kuina 
  • Distribution:  Northern Okinawa
  • Habitat: Forests
  • Diet:  Small insects, worms, snails and fruit. 
  • Average Size:  31cm 
  • Threats: Habitat loss, and the threat of mongoose and feral cats.

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 My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link 

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

 

Blue Streaks of Light by Shawn Miller

The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is one of the most beautiful birds of the Ryukyu Islands. They are a common species found near freshwater sources. I have observed these tiny birds four hours at a time. I know a few local nature photographers that have dedicated their lives to documenting the behavior of this beautiful bird.

  • Scientific name: Alcedo atthis
  • Common Name: Common Kingfisher
  • Distribution:  Worldwide
  • Habitat: Forests near rivers and ponds
  • Diet:  Fish and prawn
  • Average Size:  16cm

IMG_8962The Common Kingfisher spends most of the day patiently waiting on tree branches above the water.

IMG_6511They watch from above and pick out the perfect sized fish.

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They dive bomb with very little warning. Below is the sequence of the catch.

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IMG_8652After the feast, the Kingfisher preens itself.
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Look close and you can see the process of the Kingfisher casting a pellet. They can’t digest the exoskeleton of prawn and fish scales. They regurgitate the waste in a pellet form.

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IMG_2176I challenge you to get outdoors for some Nature Therapy.
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People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography? Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment. 

If you would like to use any of my photographs, please contact me directly. Have a great day!

When The Red Tractor’s Arrive The Egrets Will Thrive

 

 Red Tractors of Okinawa

Reflections of Okinawa © Shawn Miller

On Okinawa, we have six species of Egrets (Great, Intermediate, Cattle, Little, Chinese, and Pacific Reef Egret).  Egrets spend most of the day foraging on food in the grasslands. They are opportunistic hunters and have learned a new behavior. They follow a tractor as it plows the field and food rewards are given in large amounts. The tractor plow exposes insects, worms, snakes, eels, mice, and frogs.  The payoff is great, a large amount of food in a short period of time.

Plowing the field

Plowing the field © Shawn Miller

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Farming on Okinawa © Shawn Miller

These specialized birds are beneficial for local farming fields. Egrets also feed on grasshoppers and caterpillars that can devastate farmers crops in a matter of days. 

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Egrets feeding © Shawn Miller

One of the egret’s favorite food is the Japanese marsh frog. The last wave goodbye.

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Goodbye © Shawn Miller

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All you can eat buffet © Shawn Miller

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Frog legs © Shawn Miller

Egrets can also be found huntings in wetlands and the shorelines on Okinawa. Here they spend many hours patiently hunting with small rewards of food.

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Wings spread © Shawn Miller

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Striking a pose © Shawn Miller

I have observed these birds hunting for hours on many occasions and the majority of the time they miss their prey in the wetlands.

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The miss © Shawn Miller

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Nature and waste © Shawn Miller

The sad truth is our waste is a serious problem for all animals worldwide.

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That’s not food © Shawn Miller

Let’s work together to make a difference.

The motion of flight © Shawn Miller

Birds in motion © Shawn Miller

 My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link  paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Owls of Okinawa by Shawn Miller

Okinawa has three resident species of Owls. They generally live in trees in mountain forests,  forest parks and sometimes in residential areas.  All three owls are fairly small (20-33cm). They are hard to find in the day, but as night falls their large shiny eyes give them away. These beautiful night dwellers feed on small lizards, rodents, frogs and insects.

The Collard Scops-owl (Otus lempiji) has beautiful red eyes and short pointy ears. It can be challenging to photograph owls. You have to be fast acting with your camera, the owls will fly off quickly after a few photographs.

This is an example of undesirable red eye reflected (Red-eye) below.  You generally want to try to avoid this but, I only had had a few shots with the flash on the camera, pointing straight at the owl high in a tree.

Collard Scops-owl - Okuma resort

Collard Scops-owl – Okuma resort

Collard Scops-owl - Yanbaru forest

Collard Scops-owl – Yanbaru forest

Collard Scops-owl - Yanbaru fores

Collard Scops-owl – Yanbaru fores

The Brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata) is the most abundant of the three small owls. It has beautiful bright yellow eyes. This owl looks more like a hawk than an owl.

Brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata)

Brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata)

Brown hawk owl - Izena Island

Brown hawk owl – Izena Island

The Ryukyu scops owl (Otus elegans) is mainly found in the northern part of Okinawa. The Yanbaru forest is a designated wildlife protection area.

Ryukyu Scops Owl -Yanbaru

Ryukyu Scops Owl -Yanbaru

Ryukyu scops owl Amami Island

Ryukyu scops owl Amami Island

The owls are often found hunting on forest roads. The insects are attracted to the roadside lights which bring in the owls. The bush cricket (Mecopoda elongata) is one of their favourite meals.

Bush cricket (Mecopoda elongata)

Bush cricket (Mecopoda elongata)

I  wonder if the owls can see fluorescence. Many of the stick bugs, grasshoppers and crickets fluoresce under blue light,

Katydid under blue light

Katydid under blue light

Sadly I have seen more dead owls than alive!

Hawk owl - Ogimi village

Hawk owl – Ogimi village

Let’s protect the wildlife of the Yanbaru forest. Have a great day!

The Good, the Bad or the Evil – The Crow’s of Okinawa

The Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos) is found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. They are abundant here and can be found all over Okinawa. Populations have increased due to the readily available food, left on the side of the road and in dumpsters. It’s important to keep your trash enclosed in cages to prevent the crows from getting to it.

  • Scientific name: Corvus macrorhynchos
  • Local name: Jungle crow
  • Distribution:  Ryukyu Islands
  • Habitat:  Farms, cities, forests and grasslands.
  • Diet:  Eats almost everything
  • Average size:  50cm  body length 
  • Color:  Black

Jungle crow and plastic

Jungle crow and plastic © Shawn Miller

Jungle crow -Okinawa Japan

Jungle crow in flight © Shawn Miller

The farmers in Onna village put up this deterrent to keep the crows from coming back.

Crow cross -Onna village

Crow cross -Onna village © Shawn Miller

Crows can be vicious predators. They often harass other birds, showing off their strength.

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Aggressive behavior © Shawn Miller

These intelligent birds work as a team to get what they want. I have personally seen them raid baby birds from the nest. I have seen them fly away with juvenile woodpeckers, rails and swallows.

Crow taking the okinawa woodpecker from the nest

Crow taking the Okinawa woodpecker from the nest © Shawn Miller

The mother duck worked hard to protect her young from this vicious predator.

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Spot-billed duck and ducklings

To control the population of jungle crows in northern Okinawa, they use large traps to catch them in. One way in and no way out!

Crow trap - Northern Okinawa

Crow trap – Northern Okinawa © Shawn Miller

Possibly a strange growth that occurred from an injury (broken beak). Could this be one of the few crows that made a successful escape from a trap?

A crow with a hook beak

A crow with an extended hook beak © Shawn Miller

As much as we dislike the crow, they do have a purpose in the ecosystem. They clean the dead animals (road kill) off the road, keeping our environment clean from rotting carcasses. I often see them feeding on cats, snakes, lizards, birds, and rats dead in the road.

Mongoose -roadkill

Mongoose -roadkill © Shawn Miller

Crow feeding on a cat

Crow feeding on a cat by Shawn Miller © Shawn Miller

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Crows eating roadkill -Okinawa © Shawn Miller

On several occasions, I have observed crows eating dead animals on beaches and river banks. Met EEL-Zilla, a huge freshwater eel that washed up at Nagahama dam.

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They also feed on the large green caterpillars that destroy the farmer’s taro (Taanmu) crops in Kin village

Crows of Okinawa

Crows of Okinawa -© Shawn Miller

Mutualism of Commensalism?

I believe this is Mutualism. Both animals possibly benefit from each other.  The crow cleans the parasites on the boar’s skin and also acts as a warning system when threats are in the area.  The wild boar uproots the ground,  which gives access to insects, grubs, and worms for the crow. This was my first time observing this behavior in the wild.

Jungle crow and the Boar

Jungle crow and the Boar – © Shawn Miller

As soon as the boar spotted me it fled the scene. The crow attempted to stay mounted but could not keep up with the boar.

Jungle crow and the Wild Boar

Jungle crow and the Wild Boar © Shawn Miller

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 My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link  paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support, Shawn M Miller.

#MakeTheSwitch4Nature