The sixth annual of monthly bird census in the Imperial Palace for April 1970-March 1971 is reported. The same route of 4.1km was censused usually from 9.40-11.30 a. m. The number of monthly rceorded species and individuals varied from 18 to 29 species, 70 to 609 birds, with seasonal inclusion of ducks in winter and colonial herons in summer. 52 species were recorded during this year period and the following five were new, Sturnus philippensis, Fringilla montifringilla, Acrocephalus bistrigiceps, Caprimulgus indicus and Gorsakius goisagi. In total 79 species have been recorded.
During Oct. 6-23, 1970, bird survey was made by line transect-, car- and boat censuses in the Ryu Kyu Is. The party was sent by the Ministry of Wellfare of Japan and included botanical and coral reef surveys particularly of Iriomote I. Bird census was made 11 days on Iriomote I., 4 days on Ishigaki I. and 2 days on Okinawa I. and results are presented by 14 tables classified by habitat and categories such as resident land or winter water birds, etc. In all 81 species were recorded. Among resident land birds, the bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis was most abundant (No. recorded 258 birds), followed by the white-eye Zosterops palpebrosa (105 bds), the turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis (98 bds), the great tit Parus major (87 bds), the jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos (85 bds), the tree sparrow Passer montanus (44 bds., very scarce on Iriomote), the varied tit Parus varius (38 bds), the minivet Pericrocotus roseus (36 bds), the fantail warbler Cisticola juncidis (27 bds), the green pigeon Sphenurus sieboldi, the rock thrush Monticola solitaria (13 bds) and the wood pigeon Columba janthina (9 bds), ect. (25 species in all). Thus the bulbul occupied 30% (the next white-eye 12%) of resident land birds counted. The migration of northern land birds was still in early stage, only 9 species having been recorded, among which the swallow Hirundo rustica was most abundant (741 bds). Other marked species was the buzzard hawk Butastur indicus (199 bds) which was observed in scattered soaring flocks steadily migrating southward over Iriomote and Ishigaki Is. and a few tired birds were seen landed on the islands. The next was the red-cheeked myna Sturnus philippensis (145 bds) which is also a regular passage migrant along the Ryukyus and rare Chinese myna St. sinensis (16 bds) was found mixed in its flock. Muscicapa griseisticta (20 bds) and single dirds of Urosphena squameiceps, Eophona migratoria and Cuculus saturatus, etc. were recorded. Some early land winter visitors were just on their arrival, 7 species in all, of which the grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea (90 bds) outnumbered others, which were pipits Anthus (10 bds), the white wagtail M. alba (8 bds), the Philippine red-tailed shrike Lanius cristatus lucionensis (7 bds), single birds of yellow wagtail M. flava subsp., Siberian bluetail Erithacus cyanurus and the ksestrel Falco tinnunculus. Resident water, water-side and wading birds were following ten species: Charadrius alexandrinus (81 bds), Egretta sacra (62 bds., with 64.5% white phase), Gallinula chloropus (48 bds., mainly Ishigaki), Anas poecilorhyncha (39 bds), Ardea purpurea (12 bds., Iriomote), Alcedo atthis (7 bds), Ixobrychus cinnamomeus (6 bds), Pandion haliaetus (4 bds), Porzana fusca (2 bds) and Gorsakius goisagi (1 dbs., Okinawa). Winter and migrant waders were 20 species (4 species as winter visitor), with 5 species of herons. Pluvialis dominicus (131 bds), Tringa incana (71 bds), Numenius phaeopus (64 bds), Tringa hypoleuca (59 bds), Tringa glareola (43 bds), Tringa nebularia (30 bds), Tringa ocrophus (17 bds) were chief species and one Calidris bairdii was observed as a rare straggler. Five herons were Egretta alba, E. intermedia, Bubulcus ibis, Butorides striatus and Ardea cinerea. Sea birds were very scarce. A few Sterna bergii (19 in all) and one Calonectris leucomelas were seen between Ishigaki and Iriomote. A frigatebird is said to have occurted over Ishigaki and the presence of breeding colonies (said to breed in May) of Sterna sumatrana along west coast of Iriomote was reported to the author.