2023 Volume 72 Issue 1 Pages 67-76
We surveyed the distribution and population of the endangered Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus breeding along the coast of the Sea of Japan, from the Tohoku to Hokuriku regions in Japan. One hundred and eleven adult males were found during field surveys, at a population density of 5.1 pairs/km2. Based on this information, the Maxent models were performed to show the distribution area from Akita through Yamagata to Niigata prefectures. The shrike's preferred main habitat was shown to consist of a mixture of Black Pine Pinus thunbergii woodland and grassland or agricultural land. The total area occupied by the last breeding population left in Japan, was estimated to be just 31.3 km2 and the number of pairs was estimated to be only 160. For the conservation of the Tiger Shrike, it is important to conserve areas that combine both Black Pine forest and grassland/agricultural land.
