How to tell apart

Telling the swans and sea eagles apart

Two look-alike pairs among the large winter birds. For swans, look at the yellow on the bill; for sea eagles, the bill and the white on the shoulders and tail.

Special Natural Monument

Whooper Swan

Birds

Cygnus cygnus

The yellow on the bill is large and wedge-shaped, reaching beyond the nostril.

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National Natural Monument

Tundra Swan

Birds

Cygnus columbianus

Smaller than the whooper swan, with a smaller, rounded patch of yellow on the bill.

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National Natural Monument

Steller's Sea Eagle

Birds

Haliaeetus pelagicus

A massive, bright yellow bill, with white shoulders and tail.

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National Natural Monument

White-tailed Eagle

Birds

Haliaeetus albicilla

As its Japanese name says, the tail is white, but the shoulders are not. The bill is smaller than the Steller's sea eagle's.

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More features

By seasonLate autumn to early spring

Birds that come for the winter

From late autumn to early spring, cranes, swans, geese and sea eagles arrive from their northern breeding grounds. Some of their wintering sites are themselves designated Natural Monuments.

9 animals

By seasonSpring to summer

Birds that come to raise their young

These birds fly in from their southern wintering grounds in spring and raise their young in Japan over the summer. It is the season to hear and see them in forests and mountains.

6 animals

By seasonEarly summer nights

Fireflies of summer nights

Places where Genji, Heike and Hime fireflies emerge are designated in many parts of Japan. When watching them, keep lights to a minimum and leave the fireflies and their surroundings undisturbed.

3 animals