Fukuoka

Fukuoka and surrounding area

Fukuoka is the largest city in Kyushu, situated in the north of the island. It is close to Honshu, Nagasaki and the Korean peninsula, so the birds that occur here are distinctly different from those in the Tokyo area. Fukuoka is lively, bustling and cosmopolitan and is a great place to visit for a few days birdwatching.

Within easy reach of the city centre, Hakata Bay is studded with smaller inlets and bays that attract important numbers of visiting wildfowl. Controversial draining of mudflats and huge land reclamation schemes have had an affect on wintering wildfowl and visiting wader numbers, but numbers are still strong for most species.

Some of the world's rarest bird species occur as winter visitors to Fukuoka and its environs: Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunders's Gull, Baikal Teal and the eastern subspecies of Eurasian Oystercatcher. Also present on the mudflats are Common Shelduck, Grey Plover and Eurasian Curlew. Common Ringed Plover and Little Stint (rare species in Japan) are recorded every year. Heuglin's Gull and hybrid Heuglin's/ Vega Gull (form "taimyrensis"), as well as Mongolian Gull, occur each winter. The bay holds many flocks of Great Crested and Black-necked Grebe, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Asian Spot-billed Duck, Common Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, a few American Wigeon and a sizeable flock of Falcated Duck. Common Goldeneye, Goosander and sometimes Smew can be seen along with Common Pochard, Scaup and Tufted Duck.

Hakata bay is separated from the Sea of Japan by a narrow causeway to the small island of Shikanoshima. Sea watching from this site can be very productive in winter: there are large numbers of Pacific Diver, smaller numbers of Red-throated and Black-throated Diver; Black and Asian White-winged Scoter; Harlequin Duck; Temminck's and Pelagic Cormorant, and Ancient and occasional Japanese Murrelet as well as records of Streaked Shearwater, Brown Booby, Red-necked Grebe and Rhinoceros Auklet.

In spring and autumn, Hakata bay's tidal mudflats attract waders, and there are almost annual records of one or two Asian Dowitcher (mostly April/ May), Nordmann's Greenshank (Aug/ early Sept) and Spoon-billed Sandpiper (late Sept/ Oct). Great Knot are more regular migrants that can be picked out of the flocks of Dunlin, Common Greenshank and Red-necked Stint. Rice fields adjoining the bay to the west attract Long-toed Stint, Spotted Redshank, Wood Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilt, as well as Northern and sometimes Grey-headed Lapwing. Greater White-fronted Goose sometimes remain in a small flock in the area. Rarities recorded recently have included Oriental White Stork, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Siberian Chiffchaff.

The nearby islands of Oshima and Ainoshima offer great migrant birdwatching in late April/ early May, and again in late September/ early October. These small islands are serviced by ferries from two small ports within easy driving distance of the city. It is best to just take a stroll around these islands, birding suitable habitat for migrants. Here you can watch migrating raptors like Oriental Honey Buzzard, Chinese and Japanese Sparrowhawk and Grey-faced Buzzard in large flocks. Black Woodpigeon and White-bellied Green Pigeon are resident on the islands.

Tsushima is a major destination for Japanese bird watchers in April and May. Situated in the middle of the Korean Strait, this island acts as a stop-over site for migrating birds. On drizzly mornings in late April and the first week in May, many passerines touch down around the northern and western coasts of the island. Bushes and roadsides can be filled with colour and song for a few hours. Regularly recorded migrants include many species that are scarcely recorded on the Japanese mainland: Grey-backed Thrush, Siberian Thrush, Siberian Blue and Swinhoe's Robin, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Chestnut, Yellow-browed, Japanese Yellow and Yellow-breasted Bunting and Pale-legged Leaf and Korean Bush Warbler. Common Pheasant (subspecies karpowi) replaces Green Pheasant here, and Long-tailed Tit is represented by the subspecies magna from the Korean peninsula. Eurasian Magpie are found in small numbers. Brown-eared Bulbul and Japanese White-eye are common. In the rice fields of Sago in the northwest, Swinhoe's Egret (May) and Watercock (June) are recorded each year, and there is a good chance of finding a rare pipit or wagtail here.

The mountains of Fukuoka and nearby Oita prefectures are also good for a day trip. In winter, you can see Pine Bunting and sometimes accompanying Yellowhammer at one site, and Solitary Snipe can be searched for along rivers. In spring, quiet forest tracks hold some Copper Pheasant, here represented by the amber-rumped nominate subspecies. Mountain Hawk Eagle can be seen reliably at another site, and there are ample opportunities for finding spring breeders like Blue-and-white Flycatcher, Japanese Thrush, Eastern Crowned Warbler and Oriental Scops Owl.

Have a look at our suggested itineraries for Fukuoka 4-5 day tours. Fukuoka is easily accessible by plane (1 hour) or bullet train (6 hours) from central Tokyo.

Fukuoka: Winter Suggested Tour Itinerary, 4 days, 3 nights, December-March

Day 1
Morning flight Tokyo to Fukuoka. Arrive Fukuoka and check into western-style hotel in the city centre, collecting hire car. Drive to sites around the eastern edge of Fukuoka Bay and Shikanoshima. Depending on tidal movement, waterfowl and waders will be much in evidence, including Common Shelduck, Falcated Duck and Eurasian Oystercatcher. Offshore sea watching at Shikanoshima will produce views of offshore Pacific Diver, Ancient Murrelet and Temminck's and Pelagic Cormorant and sea duck such as Black and Asian White-winged Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser. Harlequin Duck are scarce but regular in very small numbers in winter. Eastern Reef Egret are usually present along the rocky shore. Streaked Shearwater and Brown Booby can usually be seen in small numbers, even in mid-winter. White-billed Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Japanese Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet have been recorded from here. Return to your hotel in the evening.

Day 2
Morning visit to Imadzu estuary and nearby fields; bird the river mouth and embankment walkway by the fields. The wintering Black-faced Spoonbill flock (up to 50 birds) should be apparent. Birds often roost on a small grassy knoll at the edge of a shingle bar, accompanied by one or two Eurasian Spoonbill. Around 50 Saunders's Gull occur in the estuary along with larger numbers of Black-headed Gull. The former are quite marsh tern-like, spending a lot of time in flight, pecking from the surface of the water. Baikal Teal should be looked for in the large Anas flocks here. In some years, up to 200 have been recorded. Goosander and Falcated Duck may also be seen. Eurasian Curlew can be seen, and occasionally a Far Eastern Curlew joins them. Check the rice fields and drainage ditches for possible views of Northern Lapwing, Dusky Thrush, Greater White-fronted Goose, Green Pheasant and Water Rail. Rarities have included Bluethroat, Pallas's Bunting and Great Bittern.
In the afternoon, visit some fields and orchards to the northeast of the city centre, looking for Green Pheasant, Dusky Thrush, wintering pipits, wagtails, fiches and buntings and possible Eastern Marsh and Hen Harrier. Eurasian Magpie occur throughout the Fukuoka area and nowhere else in Japan: they are thought to have been introduced from Korea in the Edo era. Imadzu should be visited when the tide is half-in or half-out, so you can plan your day around tide times.

Day 3
Day trip to Ainoshima or Oshima islands. You can bird the fields near the ports prior to embarking the ferry. The island forests should provide good views of Black Woodpigeon and White-bellied Green Pigeon. Grey, Elegant, Meadow and Black-faced Bunting are common in winter. Wintering White Wagtail may include some of the leucopsis subspecies. Brown-eared Bulbul, Japanese White-eye, Japanese Bush Warbler and Blue Rock Thrush are very common. Pale Thrush are common winters, but a few brown-headed, Eyebrowed and White's Thrush may also be present. Inspecting bushes and trees for possible Yellow-browed Warbler, Dusky Warbler, Goldcrest and even Siberian Chiffchaff is recommended. Japanese Murrelet should be looked for from the ferry, along with Streaked Shearwater and divers.
An alternative trip to this is an excursion to the Fukuoka/ Oita mountains, where a small flock of Pine Bunting (sometimes accompanied by one or two hybrid Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer hybrids) winters- one of the only regular sites in Japan. Copper Pheasant can be seen along quiet forest trails, along with White-backed and Japanese Woodpecker, Willow Tit and Eurasian Nuthatch. Rivers hold Crested Kingfisher, Japanese Wagtail, Brown Dipper, Eurasian Kingfisher, a few Mandarin Duck and sometimes Solitary Snipe. Raptors that may be seen include Mountain Hawk and Golden Eagle, but sightings of these species are rare.

Day 4
Final morning birdwatching at Hakata Bay, Shikanoshima or Imadzu river mouth. Catch afternoon flight to Tokyo, or a flight to Kagoshima or Okinawa, from Fukuoka Airport.

Our Fukuoka trip makes for a pleasant excursion from Tokyo during a short stay, or as part of a wider bird tour of Japan. Great views of some rare water birds are sufficient justification, but the area has so much more to offer. Currently not featured on many package bird tours, Fukuoka has many delights for the inquisitive birder to discover. Linking up with a local English-speaking Guide could mean you see Baer's Pochard! Contact us with your Fukuoka trip requests.