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Japan Japan Ramsar wetland

Senjōgahara

135 bird species recorded; the most in May.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec98at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Satoru Kikuchi from Banff, Canada · CC BY 2.0

This month here

70 species in January.

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.

Common PochardVU
Common PochardAythya ferinaWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 3.0
Goosander
GoosanderMergus merganserWinter visitorTony Hisgett · CC BY 2.0
Tufted Duck
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaWinter visitorAlexis Lours · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Teal
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorKoshy Koshy from Faridabad, Haryana, India · CC BY 2.0
Common Goldeneye
Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeWinter visitorПочта России · Public domain
Mallard
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentTetiana.iefimenko · CC BY 4.0
Eurasian Treecreeper
Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiarisWinter visitorPaweł Kuźniar ( Jojo_1 , Jojo ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Turdus eunomusTurdus eunomusWinter visitor
Coot
CootFulica atraWinter visitorNoodle snacks · CC BY-SA 3.0
Brambling
BramblingFringilla montifringillaWinter visitormmlolek · CC BY 2.0
Brown Dipper
Brown DipperCinclus pallasiiResidentImran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gadwall
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorUnknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0
Brown-eared Bulbul
Brown-eared BulbulHypsipetes amaurotisWinter visitorAlpsdake · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eurasian Nuthatch
Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaeaResidentChme82 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Willow Tit
Willow TitPoecile montanusResidentUnknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bullfinch
BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhulaWinter visitorFrancis C. Franklin · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hawfinch
HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustesWinter visitorMartin Mecnarowski ( http://www.photomecan.eu/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Smew
SmewMergellus albellusWinter visitorMPF · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cinereous Tit
Cinereous TitParus cinereusResidentImran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan · CC BY-SA 2.0
Eurasian Jay
Eurasian JayGarrulus glandariusResidentZeynel Cebeci · CC BY-SA 4.0
Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatusWinter visitorGrahamBreeze · CC BY-SA 3.0
Steller's Sea-eagleVU
Steller's Sea-eagleHaliaeetus pelagicusWinter visitorSaschathegerman · CC BY-SA 2.0
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
Japanese Pygmy WoodpeckerYungipicus kizukiResidentAlpsdake · CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

135 species, counted.

63out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 135Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 83Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 12,685Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 1,393 mAltitudeabove the sea
  • 8Raptors
  • 2Waders
  • 19Ducks & geese
  • 7Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 79Songbirds
  • 20Other 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 135 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors8 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • Japanese BuzzardButeo japonicus
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Steller's Sea-eagleHaliaeetus pelagicusVU
  • Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus
  • Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
  • Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
  • Grey-faced BuzzardButastur indicus
Waders2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Japanese SnipeGallinago hardwickiiNT
  • Solitary SnipeGallinago solitaria
Ducks & geese19 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • MallardAnas platyrhynchos
  • Tufted DuckAythya fuligula
  • Mandarin DuckAix galericulata
  • Common PochardAythya ferinaVU
  • Chinese Spot-billed DuckAnas zonorhyncha
  • Eurasian WigeonMareca penelope
  • Eurasian TealAnas crecca
  • GoosanderMergus merganser
  • Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
  • GadwallMareca strepera
  • Northern PintailAnas acuta
  • Greater ScaupAythya marila
  • SmewMergellus albellus
  • Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
  • Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
  • Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
  • Mute SwanCygnus olor
  • Anas poecilorhynchaAnas poecilorhyncha
  • Falcated DuckMareca falcata
Herons, ibises & grebes7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  • Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
Songbirds79 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Cinereous TitParus cinereus
  • Coal TitPeriparus ater
  • Willow TitPoecile montanus
  • Eurasian NuthatchSitta europaea
  • Japanese Bush WarblerHorornis diphone
  • Large-billed CrowCorvus macrorhynchos
  • Eurasian JayGarrulus glandarius
  • Masked buntingEmberiza personata
  • Narcissus FlycatcherFicedula narcissina
  • Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
  • Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytes
  • Stejneger's StonechatSaxicola stejnegeri
  • White WagtailMotacilla alba
  • Brown DipperCinclus pallasii
  • Passer cinnamomeusPasser cinnamomeus
  • Bull-headed ShrikeLanius bucephalus
  • Muscicapa latirostrisMuscicapa latirostris
  • Brown-headed ThrushTurdus chrysolaus
  • Eurasian TreecreeperCerthia familiaris
  • Asian House MartinDelichon dasypus
  • Olive-backed PipitAnthus hodgsoni
  • Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
  • Turdus eunomusTurdus eunomus
  • Chestnut-eared BuntingEmberiza fucata
  • Poecile variusPoecile varius
  • Carrion CrowCorvus corone
  • Japanese WagtailMotacilla grandis
  • Eastern Crowned Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus coronatus
  • Brown-eared BulbulHypsipetes amaurotis
  • BramblingFringilla montifringilla
  • Sakhalin Leaf-warblerPhylloscopus borealoides
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Meadow BuntingEmberiza cioides
  • Japanese GrosbeakEophona personata
  • Blue-and-white FlycatcherCyanoptila cyanomelana
  • BullfinchPyrrhula pyrrhula
  • White-cheeked StarlingSpodiopsar cineraceus
  • Eurasian SiskinSpinus spinus
  • Grey-capped GreenfinchChloris sinica
  • Red-flanked BluetailTarsiger cyanurus
  • GoldcrestRegulus regulus
  • Zosterops japonicusZosterops japonicus
  • Japanese Leaf WarblerPhylloscopus xanthodryas
  • Japanese RobinErithacus akahige
  • Rustic BuntingEmberiza rusticaNT
  • HawfinchCoccothraustes coccothraustes
  • Long-tailed RosefinchCarpodacus sibiricus
  • Janpanese ThrushTurdus cardis
  • Dark-sided FlycatcherMuscicapa sibirica
  • Eyebrowed thrushTurdus obscurus
  • HwameiGarrulax canorus
  • Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
  • Daurian RedstartPhoenicurus auroreus
  • Siberian Blue RobinLuscinia cyane
  • Siberian RubythroatLuscinia calliope
  • Japanese WaxwingBombycilla japonicaNT
  • Asian StubtailUrosphena squameiceps
  • Ashy MinivetPericrocotus divaricatus
  • Grey-streaked FlycatcherMuscicapa griseisticta
  • Northern NutcrackerNucifraga caryocatactes
  • Pale ThrushTurdus pallidus
  • Grey BuntingEmberiza variabilis
  • Turdus naumanniTurdus naumanni
  • Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
  • Japanese AccentorPrunella rubida
  • Alpine AccentorPrunella collaris
  • Oriental Reed WarblerAcrocephalus orientalis
  • Azure-winged MagpieCyanopica cyanus
  • Pallas's RosefinchCarpodacus roseus
  • Siberian ThrushGeokichla sibirica
  • Chestnut-cheeked StarlingAgropsar philippensis
  • White's ThrushZoothera aurea
  • Mugimaki FlycatcherFicedula mugimaki
  • Red-billed LeiothrixLeiothrix lutea
  • SkylarkAlauda arvensis
  • Yellow-throated BuntingEmberiza elegans
  • Black-faced buntingEmberiza spodocephala
  • Yellow BuntingEmberiza sulphurata
  • Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
Other birds20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major
  • Japanese Pygmy WoodpeckerYungipicus kizuki
  • Oriental Turtle DoveStreptopelia orientalis
  • Common CuckooCuculus canorus
  • Japanese Green WoodpeckerPicus awokera
  • CootFulica atra
  • Lesser CuckooCuculus poliocephalus
  • White-backed WoodpeckerDendrocopos leucotos
  • Pacific SwiftApus pacificus
  • Oriental CuckooCuculus optatus
  • Cuculus hyperythrusCuculus hyperythrus
  • Rock DoveColumba livia
  • Common KingfisherAlcedo atthis
  • White-bellied Green-PigeonTreron sieboldii
  • Grey NightjarCaprimulgus jotaka
  • Green PheasantPhasianus versicolor
  • Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
  • Copper PheasantSyrmaticus soemmerringii
  • Crested KingfisherMegaceryle lugubris
  • House SwiftApus nipalensis

Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.

When to go

The most species in May.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan70-2°/-8°93 mm
  2. Feb57-1°/-8°61 mm
  3. Mar544°/-5°88 mm
  4. Apr8911°/0°103 mm
  5. May9817°/6°111 mm
  6. Jun8321°/12°147 mm
  7. Jul7325°/16°220 mm
  8. Aug7026°/17°179 mm
  9. Sep6421°/13°187 mm
  10. Oct8615°/6°170 mm
  11. Nov848°/1°100 mm
  12. Dec692°/-4°105 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Senjōgahara.

Mountain in Japan

Senjōgahara is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Japan, 1,393 m above the sea.

135 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 12,685 open records.

The most recorded are the Cinereous Tit, the Mallard and the Coal Tit.

43 species come for the summer, 39 for the winter and 1 only pass through.

2 are threatened worldwide, including Common Pochard and Steller's Sea-eagle.

The most species are recorded in May.

Senjōgahara 01
Satoru Kikuchi from Banff, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Get there and watch

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.

Senjōgahara seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 1marked trails within 4 km男体山表登山道
  • 3visitor centres within 6 km日光湯元ビジターセンター, 奥日光湯元温泉旅館協同組合旅館案内所, 中善寺観光センター
  • 21viewpoints within 5 km竜頭ノ滝, 湯滝, 湯ノ湖・湯滝展望台 and 18 more
  • 24car parks within 3 km
  • 10restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • 5campsites within 10 km菖蒲ヶ浜キャンプ場, 湯元キャンプ場, 菅沼キャンプ村 and 2 more
  • 38places to stay within 10 km奥日光高原ホテル, 樹林, 奥日光森のホテル and 35 more
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • observation towers within 6 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 Senjōgahara.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas39 mountains within 25 km
Mitsudake · 3.6 kmMount Nantai2,484 m · volcano · 4.6 kmMount Tarō2,368 m · volcano · 5.6 kmMount Nikkō-Shirane2,578 m · volcano · 6.4 kmMount Nyohō2,483 m · volcano · 9.1 kmMount Sukai2,144 m · volcano · 14 kmMount Kōshin1,892 m · volcano · 14 kmMount Hiuchigatake2,356 m · volcano · 24 km
Lakeyas3 lakes within 15 km
Lake Yunoko0.3 km² · 2.8 kmLake Chūzenji12 km² · 5.7 kmMarunuma0.6 km² · 10 km
Darkskyas3 dark-sky places within 30 km
Lake ChūzenjiBortle 3 · 4.6 kmMount NantaiBortle 3 · 4.9 kmMount Nikkō-ShiraneBortle 3 · 6.5 km

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Photographs

The place, as people saw it.

Senjogahara, Tochigi 03
Σ64 · CC BY 3.0
Senjogahara - autumn - oct 29 2021 various 18 52 36 355000
Nesnad · CC BY 4.0
Senjogahara - autumn - oct 29 2021 various 18 53 48 934000
Nesnad · CC BY 4.0

Other places nearby.

Senjōgahara

Japan

  • 63Birdyas Score
  • 135Species
  • 83Migrants
  • 2Threatened

Odashirogahara

Japan · 2 km

  • 63Birdyas Score
  • 133Species
  • 84Migrants
  • 2Threatened

See the guide

Lake Yunoko

Japan · 3 km

  • 62Birdyas Score
  • 132Species
  • 81Migrants
  • 2Threatened

See the guide

Oze

Japan · 25 km

  • 53Birdyas Score
  • 85Species
  • 61Migrants
  • 1Threatened

See the guide

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q6133107) · CC0
Birds12,685 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas, Islandyas, Lakeyas, Darkskyas, Cascadyas

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.