Amami woodcock
| Amami woodcock | ||||||||
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Amami woodcock ( Scolopax mira ) |
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| Scolopax mira | ||||||||
| Hartert , 1916 |
The Amami woodcock ( Scolopax mira ) is an East Asian species of bird from the family of snipe birds .
description
The amami woodcock becomes 34 to 36 centimeters long. The top is olive brown with a fine reddish brown pattern. The underside is brown and buff banded. At the back of the head are two broad brown bands, the first of which is a little narrower. The eyes are surrounded with bare pink skin. It has a long beak.
Occurrence
The Amami woodcock is only found on the Nansei Islands , especially on Amami-Ōshima , Kakeromajima , Tokunoshima , Okinawa Hontō and Tokashikijima .
habitat
The amami woodcock inhabits primary subtropical evergreen deciduous forests, often with cycads . It prefers shady and moist areas on the forest floor. Some birds are thought to migrate from Amami-Ōshima to the more southern islands in winter, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Danger
Due to its small distribution area of 2,300 km², the amami woodcock is classified as endangered by the IUCN . While it was considered common in the 1980s, its population is declining today and is currently estimated to be fewer than 10,000. The main sources of risk are the clearing of primary forests and feral dogs, cats and small mongooses . On Okinawa and Tokunoshima there is also hunting. The protected amamami woodcock is accidentally shot here again and again, as it is often confused with the woodcock , which is also found on the islands and is considered to be hunting game.
Web links
- Scolopax mira in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed on 10 November, 2008.
- Birdlife factsheet - Ryukyu Woodcock