Places and times seen in Munakata city

Munakata is a traveling bird or a lost bird, which is rarely observed. What is observed are reservoir ponds and paddy fields with few eye vision.

Characteristic

It is a medium-size vage with a total length of 45 cm. It is the same color in both sexes.
Summer wings are head-to-neck with red-brown color and long crown feathers. The front neck from the throat is white and the chest is purple brown. The back is dark blue gray and the shoulder is light brown. Regardless of age, the wings and the underside of the body are white. The beak is yellow, the tip is black, and the tip is yellow. The eyes and the iris are yellow and the legs turn yellowish green.
In the marriage color, the base of the beak is bluish and the feet are reddish.
In winter feathers, the head is light gray brown with brown vertical stripes. Brown and shoulder are brown, throat to chest is light buff white and light brown vertical spots. At the time of flight, the contrast between the white wing and the head and back is clear and it can be distinguished from other harpsters at a glance.

Habit

Paddy fields, wetlands, lakes, tidal flats, rivers inhabit. Make a roost of the forest edge of the open place, fly away from it and capture fish, frogs, etc. at a feeding place such as paddy fields.

distribution

It lives mainly in the southern part of Kyushu, the Nansei Islands.
According to the English name, it lives in Mainland China, Indochina Peninsula, Malay Peninsula, Borneo Island, Java Island and so on. It is also in the coastal part of the South China Sea.

Other

For winter feathers, it is necessary to distinguish it from Sasagoi young bird.