ハチジョウツグミ / Naumann’s Thrush (T. n. naumanni)
After receiving information about the Naumann’s Thrush subspecies, called Hachijo Tsugumi (thrush) in Japanese, I immediately set out to explore.
When I arrived at the park, familiar birds appeared first. City parks are good because the birds do not run away so much.
Soon after, a distinctly different thrush emerged. Hachijo Tsugumi (T. n. naumanni) is related to Tsugumi (T. n. eunomus) as a subspecies. This individual has a much different appearance than Tsugumi, although its belly is not as reddish. The two subspecies are able to produce offspring, so it is said that there are many crossbred individuals. The difference in appearance is like the difference between dogs.
On the other hand, it is strange that there are some species, such as leaf warblers, that look almost the same but are different species.
Like the thrushes above, this one also allowed me to get a close-up shot. As I have discussed before, I wonder if individuals that come to parks in urban areas become accustomed to people, or if individuals that do not care about people come to urban areas.
A plover on a riverbank. It appeared to be a Long-billed Plover based on its inconspicuous yellow eye ring, long bill, and narrow black band at the collar.
I looked up various comparisons to the Little Ringed Plover on the Internet. If the plover’s characteristics are clear, I would not be confused, but some Little Ringed Plovers have modest eye rings like a Large-billed Plover, so I would have to judge comprehensively to avoid making a mistake.
