Habitat Restoration for the Reintroduction of Oriental White Storks

抄録

　Oriental white storks (Ciconia boyciana) became extinct in Japan in 1971. After successful breeding in captivity, a pilot release program was started as the first step toward reintroduction in 2005 in the Toyooka Basin, the last region this bird inhabited in Japan. As the oriental white stork is carnivorous and uses a variety of animals in its diet, restoration of its foraging habitat is an important part of the reintroduction project. Although this bird chooses good foraging sites seasonally in response to shifting habitat conditions and the amount of prey available, paddy field systems, including ditches and shallow rivers are relatively important to its foraging. At present, several restoration projects have been established in the Toyooka Basin. To ameliorate the habitat quality of paddy fields, a new farming scheme, including installation of “fishways” connecting paddy fields and ditches, prolongation of the period of paddy field flooding and application of reduced amounts of agricultural chemicals, was introduced to local areas in 2002. In addition, a project to create a shallow riverbed along the side of the Maruyama River in the Toyooka Basin was begun in order to improve the river channel to prevent flooding and to restore wetland habitat. These projects are being performed with the collaboration of local stakeholders.