Countries and cultures - World regions - Birds - Endemic species - Japanese wildlife - Japan
Which rare bird is Japan’s only flightless bird?
Correct!
The Okinawa rail (Gallirallus okinawae), known in Japanese as Yanbaru Kuina, is regarded as Japan’s only flightless bird. National Parks of Japan describes it as an elusive flightless bird discovered only in 1981. The species is endemic to the forests of Yambaru National Park in northern Okinawa. It lives mostly on the ground in subtropical evergreen forests and nearby grasslands. The Okinawa rail is about 30 centimeters long, cannot truly fly, but has strong legs. It eats insects and other invertebrates. Introduced mongooses, feral cats, habitat loss and road traffic are among its main threats.
The Okinawa rail, or Yanbaru Kuina, is Japan’s only flightless bird.
