Photo/Illutration Designated by the central government as a natural monument, the Izu thrush is a member of a thrush family subspecies unique to Japan as it only breeds on the Izu and Tokara island chains. (Provided by the Wild Bird Society of Japan)

Volcanic Miyakejima in the Izu island chain about 180 kilometers south of Tokyo is a piece of paradise as well as a haven for wild birds.

Tairo-ike pond in the southern part of the island was formed by volcanic activity around 2,000 years ago, one of countless eruptions there that have occurred since time immemorial.

Surrounded by forests with towering trees, the pond attracts Izu thrushes, “mosuke misosazai,” a subspecies of winter wren, Japanese robins and other wild birds. 

The Ijima leaf warbler’s arrival at the pond in late March marks the start of the bird-watching season when the walking trail that loops around the body of water erupts with the chatter of bird song. It’s no surprise the trail is nicknamed “Japan's No. 1 path of chirping.”

The Miyake Nature Center, aka Akakokko Station, is tasked with conserving the island’s unique nature. A visitor center near the pond offers information on the wild birds wintering there and the natural environment that makes it such a welcoming habitat.

It opened in 1993 as a municipal facility in response to calls from the Wild Bird Society of Japan to conserve the island’s nature-rich environment and high-density bird population.

The center’s nickname derives from the Izu thrush, or “akakokko” in Japanese, a member of the thrush family that only breeds on the Izu and Tokara island chains. The latter is located in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan.

The Izu thrush is also a government-designated natural monument and the official bird symbol of Miyake village, which comes under Tokyo’s jurisdiction.

The late Jack Moyer, a U.S. marine biologist who moved to Miyakejima, carried out regular surveys of the island wildlife, which the bird center continues to do, along with offering education opportunities.

Akakokko Station has also been making a range of efforts to promote Miyakejima as “Bird Island,” based on its research of the Japanese murrelet and by hosting international symposiums.

The 2000 eruption of Mount Oyama forced the islanders to evacuate for a few months shy of five years. This led the institution to start a nature guide training program for people to learn about the island’s volcanic history and creatures that evolved in ways unique to the island.

At an event it hosted in March to mark its 30th anniversary, the nature center introduced the charms of the Izu thrush and the rich nature of Miyakejima. It also has nature watching programs and other activities planned throughout the year.

Currently, two rangers from the bird society are attached to Akakokko Station to carry out surveys of the wildlife.

In late February, Taisei Kodera left Cape Izumisaki in the northern part of the island at 9 a.m.

The 24-year-old ranger walked slowly for about 40 minutes, listening carefully to his environment.

When he heard the sound of a bird chirping, Kodera knew it was the call note of a meadow bunting although “it was a little far away.”

Kodera kept track of the birdlife through the constant chirping, mainly made by males as it is the mating season, and call notes from both sides of the trail. He also recorded sightings of wild birds.

The rangers conduct surveys like this in four locations across the island each month, in addition to walking around Tairo-ike twice a month. The number of survey points increases during the mating season.

At least 290 bird species have been documented on the island.

“That is because it has a warm climate, no snakes or other indigenous predators,” said chief ranger Akinori Naito, 47.

However, the number of Izu thrushes has drastically declined after weasels were brought to the island in the 1980s to eradicate mice. Another worry is that around 60 percent of the island’s forested area was destroyed in the 2000 eruption.

Thanks to continued conservation activities and surveys, the forest is beginning to rebound and its ecology is becoming better understood, Naito said.

In addition to his activities on land, Naito goes diving in Chotaro-ike, a pond in the southern part of the island, to study the fish there. He also surveys the health of sea coral.

“We hope to help preserve the precious natural environment of the island well into the future,” he said.

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