Places and times seen in Munakata city

In Munakata it is a winterbird, from October to April you can see it in various parts of the city.
In particular, during the migratory period of October, you can observe that you are coming from the ocean one by one at the ranch of Munakata Oshima, and observe the appearance of crossing the sea also during the time of migration from March to April it can.

Characteristic

The total length is from 30 to 33 cm for males and from 37 to 40 cm for females.
The males are about the same size as the pheasant. The top of the body from the head is dark blue gray, and the bottom of the body below white is white. There is an orange-brown horizontal spot on the belly from the chest. Cheeks and sides are also orange-brown. The eyebrows group is white, but there are also individuals with supplements and obscure.
Female, from the tail to the upper side of the body is dark blue gray but takes a slightly brown color.
Both males and females have a yellowish iris, but some are nearly orange with males.

Habit

It is distributed as northern birds north of Shikoku. In Kyushu it becomes a winterbird. In winter, you can see it in the flatland forests, croplands, meadows, rivers, lakes and the like throughout the country. Mainly supplement birds and the like. Sometimes you prey on rats and rabbits.

distribution

In Japan, it lives as a stationary bird in the north of Shikoku, and in Kyushu it becomes a winterbird. In the Nansei Islands there are few winter birds.
As the English name, it lives widely except for the arid lands of the Eurasian continent.

Other

Hightaka and Otaka are very similar and difficult to distinguish. In Munakata, Hitaka can be observed more.