VOL.213 MARCH 2026
EXPLORING JAPANESE POTTERY
[Native Creatures of Japan] Izu Thrush
The Izu thrush (Turdus celaenops) is a native bird of Japan measuring around 23 cm in body length. It is found only on the Izu Islands and on some islands in Kyushu, such as the Tokara Islands in southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture. It is distinguished by reddish-brown plumage running from the chest to the abdomen. From the head to the chest, males are black, while females display a lighter shade. Both sexes have a thin yellow ring around the eyes. It lives in forests and along forest paths, feeding on earthworms and insects hidden beneath fallen leaves or under the soil, and on fruit and other items they pick from trees. For many years the Izu thrush lived on islands with few natural predators. However, its numbers have declined sharply as a result of the introduction of the Japanese weasel1 in the 1970s to reduce rat-related agricultural damage, and the impact of volcanic gases from eruptions.
- 1. A species native to Japan that originally inhabited Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and their surrounding islands. However, after it was newly introduced in Hokkaido and other islands with the goal of eliminating rats, it caused impacts on the native species of those regions.
Photo: PIXTA
