​Conservation of Akamozu, an endangered migratory species endemic to Japan
　The Japanese Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus superciliosus, hereafter Akamozu) is a summer visitor that breeds only in Japan and is at risk of extinction. Our phylogeographical study revealed that Akamozu has been evolutionary unique and independent from its continental relative for more than hundreds of thousands of years. They were once common garden birds, have been declining over only the past 30 years. In 2022, my colleagues announced that there are fewer than 200 breeding pairs in only a handful of breeding areas (Kitazawa et al. 2022).
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For conservation practices of Akamozu, it is important to accurately understand the number and distribution of individuals and investigate the environmental conditions necessary for successful breeding. Monitoring of population size and breeding ecology is necessary.
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One of the main breeding areas is the agricultural region of Honshu. Currently, "Nagano Akamozu Conservation Study Group (NACS)" which my colleagues and I belong to is working together to monitor the ecology of Akamozu in agricultural areas.
The projects we are currently working on are
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What kind of agricultural environment can provide enough food?
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What are the predators that attack the chicks?
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What factors determine breeding success?
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Let's understand and conserve Akamozu together with agricultural stakeholders and local people!
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The following article summarizes the conservation of Akamozu.
"Let's talk about the conservation of Akamozu!”
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​The few remaining female red shrike in Japan (photographed by Aoki)
Figure 2: Akamozu (left) and two continental subspecies (right). It is characterized by the contrast between its beautiful reddish brown color and white face! (Drawings by Aoki)
Let's move it forward together!
– Challenges towards Citizen Science
We visit the farmland environment every year for field surveys while building good relationships with agricultural stakeholders and local residents. During this time, we started to hear comments like this from farmers and local people.
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“Is there anything we can do to help conserve the brown shrike?”
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Thanks to the many years of research carried out by alumni of the Shinshu University Group, the predecessor of NACS, farmers and local people have already understood the importance of conservation activities.
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We applied for cloud funding “the 2021 Research Support Project” carried by an NPO called Bird Research in Japan. The purpose of this project was to collect information on shrike nests discovered by farmers during their work and monitor the breeding of Akamozu as citizen science. The lefthand side brochure was our proposal for this project.
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*Additional note (September 29, 2023): Thank you very much for your support on the cloud funding!!! Thanks to your support, we have made great progress in conserving the Akamozu! Your support advanced our conservation project further, which is now led by the University of the Human Environment and NACS.
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Akamozu Predator Control Project and Ex-situ conservation project is now in progress!
Akamatsu-san from NACS and I are introducing conservation activities to farmers.
*We conduct research after obtaining special permission from the Ministry of the Environment and the Yamashina Ornithological Research Institute and acquiring special techniques to capture them.
This is the content of the bird research project. Click to enlarge!
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A press release has been made!
