Avifauna of Shinojima Island, Aichi Prefecture

Abstract

To determine the avifauna of the small offshore island of Shinojima, which is located off Mikawa Bay in Aichi Prefecture, surveys were conducted from January 2014, to September 2015. During 18 surveys I recorded 58 species, 18 of which were assumed to be residents, one a migrant breeder, 20 winter visitors, and 13 were passage visitors. Ten of the 18 resident species were observed in various habitats. It seems likely that those species have a stable presence on this small island because of habitat generalization. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki and White Wagtail Motacilla alba colonized Shinojima Island and became a resident species. In the 2000s, those species expanded their distributions as residents on the Aichi mainland. They may have recently expanded their resident range to Shinojima Island. Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra was a resident species on Shinojima Island, but they are not a common species in mainland Aichi Prefecture. They are assumed to prefer the island to the mainland as habitat in Aichi Prefecture.