Endangered – The Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) Okinawa, Japan

The Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a common winter visitor in southern Okinawa. The spoonbill is currently endangered and has an estimated population of less than 3000. It’s biggest treats are habitat loss, pollution and pesticides. The Black-faced spoonbill is currently listed critically endangered on the IUCN red list of threatened species.

  • Scientific name (Platalea minor)
  • Distribution: Okinawa, Korea, China, Taiwan and Japan
  • Habitat: Mud flats, mangroves and wetlands
  • Diet:  Fish
  • Average Size:  73.5 cm
The Black-faced spoonbill in flight

The Black-faced spoonbill in flight

The Black-faced spoonbill is a magnificent animal.

The beautiful Black-faced spoonbill

The beautiful Black-faced spoonbill

The Black-faced spoonbills work as a team when hunting for fish.

The Black-faced spoonbill-community hunting

The Black-faced spoonbill-community hunting

Out of all the birds at the mudflats, the spoonbills are the most consistent hunters. They rest most of the day, but when its time to fish they always catch one fairly quickly.

The Black-faced spoonbill-hunting

The Black-faced spoonbill-hunting

The Spoonbills in flight

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Black-faced Spoonbill in flight

Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor)

Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor)

The Spoonbill landing – The art of conveying Motion !

Th Black-faced spoonbill -landing

Th Black-faced spoonbill -landing

Let’s Protect the beauty of Okinawa!

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

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

 

Light & Motion – The ultimate flashlight for wildlife photographers.

I have been using the Light & Motion Sola underwater lights for over two years now. I take them on all my adventures to include scuba diving, river trekking, caving and nature photography trips. These lights provide constant beautiful lighting and are extremely reliable, which is why they are the perfect light for me.

I recently purchased the Light & Motion Sola compact tray with the extension kit and one GoBe 700 wide light. I have been using this setup with the Canon 70D to document the wildlife in Okinawa. The flexible Loc-line arms are an awesome advantage. They are easy to move while having full control over the constant lighting.   

Using the Light & Motion field setup

Light & Motion field setup                         Photograph courtesy of Ross Gallardy

A photograph of a Ryukyu kajika frog in northern Okinawa using the Light & Motion field setup

okinawa frog

Ryukyu Kajika frog ( Buergeria japonica )

The Light & Motion Sola 600 has a built in feature most people do not take advantage of. The light has a red light function which allows the user to get close to land and marine subjects without disturbing them. This red light is very effective and I highly recommend using it.

Underwater setup with sola 600

My underwater rig with the Light & Motion Sola 600  – Ikelite housing and strobes

The Light & Motion Nightsea Sola light can also be used on land. I am always searching for animals that fluoresce in the Yanbaru forest in northern Okinawa. You never know what you will find!

Light & Motion Sola Nightsea Blue light - Riukiaria falcifera

Light & Motion Sola Nightsea Blue light    Millipede – Riukiaria falcifera

If you would like to know more about the Light & Motion Sola series visit.  https://www.lightandmotion.com/choose-your-light/sola

Have a great day!