Records of Japanese Night Heron Gorsachius goisagi captured by camera trap surveys in Naganuma Park and Oyamada Green Space, Western region of Tokyo

Abstract

The Japanese Night Heron, Gorsachius goisagi, is a migratory birds distributed in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Izu Islands of Japan. This　species is listed as threatened by the IUCN as well as on national and regional red lists. Despite this status, little is known about its basic ecology such as home range and migratory routes. Here, we report camera trap records of the Japanese Night Heron obtained from surveys conducted in six urban parks in western Tokyo. The species was recorded in two urban parks where cameras were placed in valley environments. These findings suggest that urban parks containing valleys may play an important role as habitat for the Japanese Night Heron. Camera trap surveys are a powerful tool for documenting fundamental records of threatened species, including the Japanese Night Heron.