The word "Kuina" in the title of my blog means the Rails or Rallidae in Japanese. The title can be translated as "17th street of Kuina avenue." I love that family even though I have not seen many species.
Yambaru Kuina or Okinawa Rail is an iconic species in this family in Japan because it is endemic only to the Yambaru area on the mainland Okinawa and was discovered as recent as 1981.
Last weekend, I finally got a chance to visit Okinawa to see them. One dream came true!
どのくらい簡単に見られるのだろう、と思っていたけれど、時間と場所を選べばじっくり見られる鳥らしい。家族で行動を供にしている事が多いというが、隣の家族と仲が良いとは限らないようで、水浴び場を巡って、別家族を追い立てているところも見られた。
After the sun set, they came to the river to bathe. One crouched down to soak its breast and stood up to let the waterdrops trickle down its back. It was the same way how moorhen does.
In the morning we saw one eating mulberries. It looked exactly like my Little Brown eating blackberries.
茂みの脇からひょこひょこっと顔を出し、広場や道路は全速力で駆け抜ける。なんだか広場恐怖症みたい。
The previous night our friend guide spotted us a sleeping rail. Okinawa Rail roost on trees to keep away from snakes.
The next day, we went back to the place at the break of dawn. We parked the car far behind and checked the tree with a scope.
There it was, a silhouette rail walking down the tree. Since they can not fly, they have to walk up and down the tree.
There was another one on a different branch. The fist one waited for the other to come down lower before it jumped on the ground together. They seemed to be a family.
雨上がりに何羽も草地にえさ取りに出て来た。
A snail endemic to Yambaru, the Okinawa Rail's snack.
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