The Okinawan Woodpecker (Dendrocopos noguchii) – Critically Endangered species

Pryer’s woodpecker (Dendrocopos noguchii) is the prefecture bird of Okinawa and designated as a natural treasure of Japan. They are a rare species only found in the northern part of Okinawa and are currently listed critically endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species.

    • Scientific name (Dendrocopos noguchii)

 

    • Common name: Okinawan or Pryer’s woodpecker

 

    • Distribution:  Northern Okinawa

 

    • Habitat: Yanbaru Forest

 

    • Diet:  Beetle larvae, moths, spiders, centipedes and fruit

 

  • Average Size:  30cm – 35mm

Shawn Miller featured – WILDLIFE AS CANON SEES IT -Published National Geographic May 2015. Bringing awareness to the endangered species of the Ryukyu Islands one image at a time. 

Woodpecker featured Nat Geo May 2015

Woodpecker featured Nat Geo May 2015 –

The woodpecker can rotate its head 180 degrees to capture the difficult insects. This is the first and only time I have observed this occurring.

Pryer's woodpecker  180 head twist

Pryer’s woodpecker 180 head twist

This woodpecker is unique. It feeds its young only one insect at a time.

Okinawa woodpecker

Okinawa woodpecker

Pryer's woodpecker in flight

Pryer’s woodpecker in flight

Both parents stay busy feeding the chicks. The nests can have up to three chicks.

Pryer's woodpecker feeding chick

Pryer’s woodpecker feeding chick

The woodpeckers biggest threats are deforestation and natural predators.

The woodpeckers natural threat

The woodpeckers natural threat – Jungle Crow

My favorite image of The Pryer’s woodpecker.

Pryer's woodpecker (Sapheopipo Noguchii) Yanbaru forest

Pryer’s woodpecker (Sapheopipo Noguchii) Yanbaru forest

 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

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko, Endangered species of the Ryukyu Islands!

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko is a beautiful lizard found throughout the Ryukyu Islands. It is currently listed endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species.  This lizard is decreasing in numbers due to poaching, deforestation, and the threat of feral cats. The lizard is high valued in the illegal pet trade market and needs to protected. This is one of my favorite reptiles to photograph on my night adventures in Okinawa.

    • Scientific name: Goniurosaurus kuroiwae

 

    • Distribution:  Okinawa Islands

 

    • Habitat:  Leaf littered forests 

 

    • Diet:  Worms and insects

 

  • Average Size:  110mm -130mm
Featured- Wildlife As Canon Sees.  National Geographic October 2017

Shawn Miller Featured- Wildlife As Canon Sees. National Geographic October 2017

Kuroiwa's Ground Gecko

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

This is the first ground gecko I photographed in 2010. I found it under a piece of carpet in Onna Village. Illegal dumping is a huge problem in Okinawa.

1st Ground Gecko

1st Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

In the daytime, they live in caves, crevices, and holes in the ground

Kuroiwa's Ground Gecko

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

They come out to feed at night.  

Kuroiwa's Ground Gecko

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

When they feel threatened they will stand up on all fours and try to intimate you with a stare down.

Kuroiwa's Ground Gecko

Kuroiwa’s Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

They have some strange looking feet –

 Ryukyu Ground gecko

Ryukyu Ground gecko © Shawn Miller

When I approached this ground gecko it stayed in place. I found three Mosquitoes sucking the blood right out of it. the first time I observed mosquitoes on a lizard.

Blood suckers

Ryukyu Blood suckers © Shawn Miller

The juveniles have vibrant orange stripes down the back and rings around their tails.

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Juvenile ground gecko

Juvenile ground gecko

Juvenile ground gecko

This beautiful Goniurosaurus kuroiwae orientalis was photographed on Ie Island.

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Goniurosaurus kuroiwae orientalis

A wide-angle macro perspective of a ground gecko in central Okinawa.

Ground gecko -WAM

Ground gecko -Wide angle macro © Shawn Miller

The Banded ground gecko (Goniurosaurus splendens) is endemic to the Island of Tokunoshima. It is designated as a living natural monument in Kagoshima prefecture.

Banded Ground Gecko

Banded Ground Gecko © Shawn Miller

Toyama’s ground gecko (Goniurosaurus toyami) is endemic to Iheya Island. It is currently listed as critically endangered.

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Toyama’s ground gecko © Shawn Miller

Pay attention to crossing wildlife!

Kuroiwa's ground gecko -endangered

Kuroiwa’s ground gecko -endangered species © Shawn Miller

Kuroiwa's ground gecko

Kuroiwa’s ground gecko top view © Shawn Miller

Road kill sign © 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 

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