The green Pheasant is the national bird of Japan, but interestingly, many Japanese don’t know that. I once asked some high school kids and many of them thought Crows were the national bird. 😂
The Green Pheasant is called (きじ) Kiji in Japanese. The Kiji is said to be endemic to the island. This particular set of photos is that of a male as the females aren’t as colorful, they are brown with dark spots.
The Kiji was made the national bird of Japan 1947 and is known for being one of the main characters in the popular Japanese folklore called “Peach Boy” or MomoTaro.
photography Back Story
While the family and I were waiting to dine at an Italian Restarant in the Tochigi countryside, I heard the distinct sound the Kiji makes. I went around the back of the building and saw the bird in the distance. I really need a better zoom lens. I approached slowly and got some shots as I stepped forward but as you can see, it still looks really far away.
As it saw me approaching, it slowly turned away. I feel it has a nest near by as this looks like the perfect habitat for it.
And here he is in the picture below ready to get low and hideaway.This is probably the best shot I got though. I want to seek out these birds more and get better photos. I know what I’ll buy myself sometime this year, a new zoom lens. Be sure to zoom in manually to get a better view of the Japanese Green Pheasant.
Camera : Canon M50
Lens: Canon EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Location: Nasu, Tochigi, Japan
Snap date: Sunday, April 25th , 2021.