Amami Woodcock
VU

Amami Woodcock

Scolopax mira

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amami_woodcock

Overview

The Amami woodcock is a medium-sized wader. It is slightly larger and longer-legged than the Eurasian woodcock.

The Amami Woodcock faces significant threats primarily due to its extremely limited range, being endemic to just a few islands in the Ryukyu archipelago of Japan. Habitat loss and degradation from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development have reduced available forest areas, while introduced predators such as cats and mongooses pose additional pressure on this ground-nesting species.

Threat summary

Habitat

Dense subtropical evergreen forests with thick understory vegetation, primarily in mountainous areas of Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima islands. The species prefers moist forest floors with rich leaf litter and soft soil suitable for probing for invertebrates.

Other threatened species in Scolopacidae

Eurasian CurlewVU

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Unknown
redshank, common redshankVU

redshank, common redshank

Tringa totanus

Unknown
Imperial SnipeVU

Imperial Snipe

Gallinago imperialis

Unknown
CR

Slender-billed Curlew

Numenius tenuirostris

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Amami Woodcock classified as Vulnerable?
Amami Woodcock is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. The Amami Woodcock faces significant threats primarily due to its extremely limited range, being endemic to just a few islands in the Ryukyu archipelago of Japan. Habitat loss and degradation from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development have reduced available forest areas, while introduced predators such as cats and mongooses pose additional pressure on this ground-nesting species.
Where does Amami Woodcock live?
Amami Woodcock occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Amami Woodcock?
The main threats to Amami Woodcock are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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