1981年に日本のトキは野生下で絶滅した。その後，2008年より佐渡島においてトキの再導入が実施され，2012年からは野生下での繁殖が成功している。2015年10月現在，佐渡島に159羽のトキが生息しているとされている。すべての放鳥個体には個体ごとに異なる組合せの足環が装着され，生存や繁殖状況を把握している。野生下で生まれた雛にも足環を装着しているが，全ての雛には足環を装着できていないため，未標識個体も生息している。足環の判読によって個体の生存状況は把握されているが，モニタリング努力量が限られているため，野外での個体数増加に伴って標識個体の観察率も低下する可能性がある。また，年々増加する未標識個体の個体数を正確に把握することは現在の課題である。そのため公表されているソフトウェアMARKを用いて標識再観察法による個体数を推定した。未標識個体の個体数はLogit-normalモデル，標識個体の個体数はPoisson-logモデルを適用した。初めて野生下で繁殖が成功し，8羽の雛の巣立ちが確認された2012年の繁殖期以降，8.48個体（95％CI: 5.89–12.21）の未標識個体が生息していたと推定された。未標識トキの推定個体数は2014年の繁殖期後には30.23羽（95％CI: 19.1–48.0）まで増加したが，徐々に減少し，現在は20.30羽（95％CI: 15.5–26.7）である。全ての調査期間において一貫して，未標識個体の推定個体数は観察個体数より多かった。一方，標識個体の推定個体数は観察個体数と一致していた。2つのモデルより，2015年10月現在，佐渡島島内には放鳥個体109羽，野外生まれ個体41羽が生息していると推定された。今後は標識再観察法による個体数推定をトキの野生復帰事業に導入することが望まれる。

The distribution of the Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus in Hokkaido was investigated from late April to early July, 1976–2016. Surveys were mainly conducted by 2-km-long line transect censusing in 993 quadrats (4.5 km×5 km). In addition, for 526 quadrats, census results obtained from the literature and spot censuses concerning the presence or absence of birds were also incorporated. The Lesser Cuckoo was distributed mainly in Hiyama and Oshima districts and the central part of Iburi district. These results indicate the Lesser Cuckoo to be a common summer visitor in these areas, and an irregular visitor in other areas in Hokkaido.

2013年2月20日，南極海の南緯65度56分，東経80度39分においてアデリーペンギンPygoscelis adeliaeの白色個体を確認した．この個体は体色を除き通常のアデリーペンギンと同じ体の特徴とサイズを有していた．体色には黒い部分が無く，羽毛はすべて白色で，目は通常の個体よりも色調が薄かった．そして，嘴は茶から紫がかった赤色で，脚は薄いピンク色だった．この観察されたアデリーペンギンの体色異常のタイプはイノライトと考えられる．

A vagrant Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus was observed in the Kitakami Mountains, Iwate, Northern Honshu, Japan, on December 2, 2015. This is the first record of this species in Iwate Prefecture. During a three-month period after the original observation, the vulture was observed alone six times, at five locations in the Kitakami Mountains up to 50 km apart. At least two of six vultures observed were inferred to be the same juvenile individual.

We monitored the breeding performance of Black-tailed Gulls Larus crassirostris on Kabushima Island from 2012 to 2016. During this period mean clutch sizes and productivity ranged from 1.57 to 2.16, and 0.03 to 0.29, respectively. The mean clutch size from 2014 to 2016 was higher than in 2012 and 2013, but the productivity from 2014 and 2016 was lower than in 2012 and 2013.

A decrease in wintering sites in other countries caused by global climate change and other factors is one of several theories proposed to explain the increase in the number of large waterbirds wintering in Japan. As such, any increase in the number of geese wintering in Japan would not necessarily provide an optimistic view of recovery of population size, making it important to pay continuously monitor fluctuations in the number of wintering geese. Since 2002, we have counted the wintering Bean Goose Anser fabalis middendorffii in Edosaki-Iri Reclaimed Land, the only wintering site of this species in Kanto District, Japan. During the 14-year study period, the first individual arrived at the study site from mid-October to mid-November, and thereafter the number of individuals gradually reached a plateau within 13–46 days. Geese remained at the wintering site an average of 126.2±14.6 SD days (n=14), and the average maximum number of geese present during the plateau phase was 79.5±26.4 SD (n=14). Over the study period, geese usually began departing the wintering site in late February, and in most years geese departed the wintering site over a much shorter period that in which they arrived. In all years, all birds had left by late March. Arrival and departure dates remained relatively constant throughout the 14-year study, as did the wintering period. However, the maximum number of wintering individuals increased as the study progressed.

Dr. Yoshimaro Yamashina (1900–1989) was a Japanese ornithologist and the founder of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology. His two-volume “A Natural History of Japanese Birds,” published in 1934 and 1941, was an important contribution that greatly influenced the development of Japanese ornithology. We have previously published “The Cataloging and Preservation of Manuscripts, Prints, and Related Materials Used for ‘A Natural History of Japanese Birds’” (Tsurumi et al. 2014). However, in 2016, additional materials relating to these volumes were found in the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology and at Dr. Yamashina's former residence. These additional 294 items were registered to the Institute's collection, and consisted of 116 original drawings, 157 trial prints and one picture, eight manuscripts, and 12 miscellaneous items such as errata slips and envelopes, increasing the entire collection to 821 items.

In 2016 we continued the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Program in Fukushima, Japan, using constant-effort mist netting and banding. Preliminary analysis of results, including adult abundance index, productivity index, and estimated adult survival rate, from five years of data showed (a) the Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone to have increased in Fukushima City and Minami-Soma City while decreasing rapidly in Iitate Village; (b) the Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis to have increased in Minami-Soma City and to have decreased in Fukushima City; and (c) the Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica to have increased rapidly in Minami-Soma City. A simplified technique for recording habitat characteristics is required to assess the effect of natural disturbance and/or unexpected anthropogenic disturbances on bird populations and dynamic parameters.