Abstract. According to the check-list of Japanese birds, sixth revised edition, the Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax is an irregular visitor in Hokkaido. Two breeding sites of the species were found in the southern part of Oshima Peninsula, south-western Hokkaido; at Nanae in 2000 and at Assabu in 1999. In Nanae 54 nests were counted in the spring of 2009 in a deciduous broad-leaved forest. In Asaabu four nests of the species were counted with 147 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea nests in May 1999 in a deciduous broadleaved forest. In 2009 Night Herons were absent from the Assabu colony.

In 1993, a Band-bellied Crake (Rallina paykullii) was caught with a research mist net at Aidomari on Oshima Ohshima Island, off southwest Hokkaido. After measuring its morphological features, taking photos, and attaching a leg-ring, we released the bird. This is the first stray record of this species from Japan. Note and Description Locality: Aidomari, Oshima Ohshima Island, 41°30'N, 139°22'E. Date: 25 May 1993 (Early in the morning). Leg ring No.: 5B-29353. Sex and age: Unsexed, adult. Measurements: Exposed culmen 26.7mm, Wing (flattened) 122.6mm, Tarsus 43.3 mm, Tail 51.6mm, Wing span 420mm, Total length 230mm. Weight 96g.Plumage color: Top of head ashy brown (cf. MacKinnon 1990). The dark brownish crown and hindneck sharply demarcated from tha paler chestnut-rufous sides of the head and breast (cf. Lekagul & Round 1991) (Figs. 1A and 1B); throat and abdomen white (Figs. 1A and 1C); the first primary narrowly edged with white only on the outer web (cf. Ripley 1977) (Fig. 1B); greater and median coverts tipped and sparsely barred with white (Fig. 1B); broad black and white barring on the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts; underwing-coverts, including under-primary-coverts, were barred with black and white (Fig. 1C).Bill: Bluish gray and peagreen at base, the culmen to the tip blackish (cf. Ripley 1977) (Fig. 1A); bill slightly thicker and shorter than other similar sized Rallina species (cf. Dementiev & Gladkof 1951).Iris: Red (see Figs. 1A and 1B). Legs: Orange, but sooty orange only on the tarsus. Differed from Slaty-legged Crake (Rallina eurizonoides) and Malay Banded Crake (R. fasciata) by having longer legs and toes (the length of the mid-toe with claw was not measured in this study, but was

On 29-30 May 1993, one Black-capped Kingfisher was observed at Aidomari, a small inlet located in the southwest part of Oshima Ooshima Island. It was seen feeding on the rocky shore and resting on top of rocks and on the middle terrace of rocky cliffs (Fig. 1-A). On the third day, the bird disappeared. A Black-capped Kingfisher carcass was also found in a col at an elevation of about 600 m between Mt. Kiyobe and Mt. Era on

No abstract

The Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus is a migrator y member of the family Acrocephalidae (Clements et al. 2016; Gill & Donsker 2016). This species has a wide distribution and is a monotypic taxon; it breeds from Western Europe to central Russia (west of the Yenisei River) and central Asia including Kazakhstan, and winters in sub-Saharan Africa (Kennerley & Pearson 2010). Its status is considered by IUCN to be of ＂least concern＂ (BirdLife International 2004). East Asia, including Japan, lies far to the east of its normal distribution and its migration route. However, on rare occasions, juvenile songbirds of many species are known to migrate well beyond their normal ranges in their first Autumn (e.g. Furuichi et al. 2010, Horimoto & Watabe 2014.We captured a single Sedge Warbler during a ringing survey in the Autumn migration season of 2016. This represents the first time that this species has been caught and the second time the species has been recorded in Japan -the first individual was photographed on the island of Tsushima, in west-