A survey of the avifauna of Kuchinoerabu-jima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, the first since the 1970s

Abstract

Kuchinoerabu-jima is a volcanic island in the Osumi group of islands in southwest Japan, which has dense natural vegetation, local endemism, and species diversity. However, with the exception of two reports from 1974 and 1977, the avifauna of the island is poorly known. We surveyed the bird assemblage of Kuchinoerabu-jima in 2017 and found 34 species in seven orders, including 11 newly recorded species. Species composition differed considerably between the 1970s and 2017, with species preferring forests having increased whereas those preferring open land had decreased. The avifauna of Kuchinoerabu-jima may have changed over recent decades due to landscape changes on the island.