Noguchigera spotted in Nago for first time in four years

<em>Noguchigera</em> spotted in Nago for first time in four years

At 8:00 a.m. on September 28, a noguchigera appeared in the Nagodake in Nago for the first time in four years. (Photograph provided by Yutaka Toguchi).


October 1, 2013 Ryukyu Shimpo

A male noguchigera Okinawa woodpecker was confirmed as having been seen in Nago-dake in Nago in the morning of September 28. This sighting is the first time in over four years. The noguchigera is designated as a special national treasure and is an endangered species that inhabits part of an area in Ogimi and Kunigami Village. It is extremely rare for there to be a sighting of the bird in Nago. Masakuni Yamashiro, the chairman of the Wild Bird Society of Okinawa said, “We hope that the natural distribution range of the noguchigera is expanding. This bird symbolizes the rich nature of Okinawa.”

On September 28, Yutaka Toguchi, a warden of the Yagaji national wildlife protection, confirmed the sightseeing of the bird. He heard the sound of the woodpecker pecking on a tree and then the bird appeared. He has received information that residents have seen the woodpecker since August.

In the Red Data Book by the Ministry of the Environment, the noguchigera is listed as endangered 1A class, which means that it has a very high risk of extinction in the immediate future. According to Toguchi, until 1980 there were sightings of the bird at Tano-dake in Nago. The warden is observing the bird in Nago-dake in cooperation with Nago Museum.

Please send information of sightings of noguchigera to the Nago Museum. Telephone: 0980 (53) 1342.

(English translation by T&CT, Mark Ealey)

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