Barn Swallow Migration Research

Self introduction

Representative of
'Ogasawara and Izu Island Barn Swallow Migration Research',
and an Illustrator.

I became fond of birds because
I had some Bengalese finch and Jawa spallow
when I was a child.
I also like to draw pictures,
after graduating from Kanazawa College of Art and Design,
While working I volunteered at the Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park.
I was deeply impressed by the fact
that there are many kinds of wild birds living near the big city.

From this time on,
publications of the Japan Wild Bird Society,
I began to draw pictures in the book of Dr. Hirohisa Higuchi, an avologist.
At work with the Wild Bird Society Research Center,
While learning about avian habitat monitoring survey
I did the job of preparing the survey manual.
The research guidebook that I made at this time
It is still carried over to the monitoring research 1000
of the Ministry of the Environment.
It is nice to be used for investigation.

Especially I was interested in bird migration

In 1995, the Japan Wild Bird Society, NHK, NEC, and etc jointly conducted,
As an investigator of volunteers to track satellites of Demoiselle Crane,
I went to Mongolian Khovd.
At this time, the cranes with transmitters
jumped over the Himalayas and arrived in India.
Our survey proved that Demoiselle Crane crossed the Himalayas.
I was more interested in migratory birds thanks to this.

Torijima, one of the islands of the Izu Islands,
is an island known for breeding grounds of short tailed albatross.
At one time, on this Torishima
I was very surprised to learn that Swallow is observed.
Torishima is a volcanic island of isolated islands,
Because it is an island that seems to be unlikely to be insects to become food.

I asked several scholar studying birds
in the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.
whether the Swallow is crossing,
I did not understand what was clear.
Swallows are observed in Chichijima and Hahajima of Ogasawara both spring and fall,
A scholar said That it may be crossing,
Another scholar said that It was impossible, one was a lost bird.

I thought that the Swallow was crossing.
I think small birds may cross the ocean.

About Barn Swallow

Anyway, how the swallows come to the island,
I went to Ogasawara to observe the swallow as I tried to see it.
In the spring of 2016, we conducted a count survey on Hahajima and Chichijima.
Listen to the local people where the swallow will come,
Looking towards the sea with a nice view
Wait a while, when the swallow comes in your notebook
Just write the time and number of feathers.

In the middle of April,
There are about 1 to 3 swallows,
I was able to observe the arrival from the sea toward the island.
The swallow is certainly flying from the ocean. So, where from?

In the sign research that the Ministry of the Environment
entrusts to the Yamashinai Institute for Avian Research,
The Swallow of Japan is made up of Philippines and Indonesia
It is clear that overwintering in Southeast Asia has occurred,
In the Ogasawara and Izu Islands, swallows are still signed and not collected.

I participate in examining birds

in Japan,
A basic survey to examine the breeding grounds and habitat of birds
It is done in the 1970s and 1990s.
In the 2010s, bird research was the center,
A nationwide bird breeding distribution research survey has been conducted,
As of 2019, survey and analysis are on going.
This survey is an important investigation to record the nature of Japan.
As a record, I myself participated as an investigator in the 1990s,
Personally not only did the memory of more than 20 years revived,
Objectively locate yourself or where you know
I was able to know the change in the environment.

When we face road construction and landfill problems, this survey
Whether birds are increasing or decreasing,
It is valuable data that can be proved scientifically.
In the spring survey of 2017,
we will search with a more detailed mesh than the whole country
I participated in Tokyo bird breeding distribution survey.

The research site where I participate is:
Considering that it might be possible to observe the swallows who came over,
I chose Hachijojima of the Izu Islands.
I was glad that I could observe a few swallows at Hachijojima.
Where did this swallow come from?
They looked so fine.
These swallows are never stray birds,
I had the purpose of going to a breeding ground from now
I felt it was a migratory bird in the middle of a journey.

Start the

"Ogasawara and Izu Island Swallow's Migration Survey"

Tokyo bird breeding distribution survey
and national bird breeding distribution survey
At the reception party,
People from the bird group who conducted the survey together,
people from the bird research
As a result of this survey
I also made a network with people on the island
If everyone cooperates,
Will you knows what you wants to know?
And I got an idea.

Can I do that?
Will observation records gather?

Do not worry.
Many people on the island sent observation records.
In the survey of 2018,
From observation records received from islanders,
The Swallow came across from the south
and seems to be going north along the island
It was clearly done !

I want to investigate further ,,,!
We will also conduct an investigation in 2019.

Participants are looking for!

If a lot of observation records are gathered,
In addition it is possible to clarify the ecology of swallow.

However, only with the desire to know the ecology of Swallow
It is a survey we started,
Is the ecology of the swallow useful for something?
But, if you are from Palau or New Guinea
To Ogasawara, to the Izu Islands, to Japan,
If you know that swallows are coming over,
I am very happy.

Something that can not be unveiled at all by himself.
On the island, if you see a swallow,
When, where, who, how many, how, how to record
Just collecting and analyzing it makes me feel exciting.

Please contact me if you see a swallow.
Also, please send us your past record if you have one.
Especially, 1, 2, 3 are important.

1, when
2, where
3, how many
4, Who
5, how

Michiko Shigehara

Self introduction

Especially I was interested in bird migration

About Barn Swallow

I participate in examining birds

Start the

"Ogasawara and Izu Islands