Bulwer's pheasant

Shima Enaga

For those who have a great passion for birds, Japan is a real gold mine. And for good reason, more than 600 species of birds are listed there to date!

The island of Hokkaido is the main Japanese region which has this great reputation of sheltering the most extraordinary animal species of our planet Earth. A very large population of birds and mammals finds there the ideal conditions to install their vital niche. Among the birds, the Shima Enaga is one of the most wonderful species that inhabit this island.

What should we know about this bird? Why does it arouse so much curiosity among professional ornithologists and amateurs alike? Here are some answers.

It is a round-bodied bird with a very long, thin tail. The species is often described as a ball of feather or more precisely of down because of its rounded appearance and very fine plumage.

 Its tail is longer than its body and it has an inconspicuous neck. The Shima Enaga has small white and black wings and a small black beak. It can often be distinguished by the presence of an arc in the form of a black band above its head.

 It is a fairly silent bird, but its call is repeated. It emits a thin, high-pitched sound. The bird measures between 13 and 15 cm. Its tail can be more than half this length and often measures between 7 and 9 cm. It can weigh between 6 and 10 g.

 It is a bird that moves by making small leaps like the majority of species called "Aegithalidae". The scientific name of the Shima Enaga is precisely "Aegithalos caudatus". It is also called "long-tailed bushtit" or "Long-tailed Orite", because it represents a category of these passerine varieties. The Japanese love it, and make it into stuffed animals, stickers, trinkets, doodles, sweets, desserts...