Yairocho
(Pitta nympha)
A colorful passerine occurs in warm temperate and tropical Southeast and East Asia. This bird is a summer visitor and breeds in natural evergreen forest in middle and western parts of Japan.
The bird is also recorded in middle and southern Mie. The bird is rare, but we sometimes hear its loud and two-syllabled song in mountainous areas. A small number is this bird regularly breeds in the areas. However, details of the breeding in Mie are not known.
The natural evergreen forest is substantially decreased in these several decades by forestry activities and road construction in our area. Information of the presence of this bird may result in gathering of bird photographers, and this is a serious problem on the conservation of this bird and its territory.