Swinhoe's Rail Coturnicops exquisitus wintering in Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions of southwestern Japan

Abstract

We conducted a survey of wintering Swinhoe's Rails Coturnicops exquisitus at 186 wet-grasslands in the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions of southwestern Japan, during the winters of 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. We found 19 individuals at nine sites in Shikoku and Kyushu. Abandoned rice fields were the most important habitats. Almost all rails were found in wet grasslands with common reeds of less than approximately 1 or 2 m in height, and with abundant understory.