Report on the Japanese White Stork Census

1. According to the Japanese Section's decision to take part in the 1958 International Census of the White Stork, proposed by Dr. E. Schüz of Germany at the Xth Conference of I. C. B. P. held in S. Rhodesia, 1957, the Japanese Association for Bird Preservation has carried out a census in Japan.<br>2. The number of nests and chicks reported were as follows:<br>1958 1959<br>Number of nests 11 14<br>Nests in use 9 10<br>Nests where chick fledged 1 2<br>Young birds flew 1 3<br>3. Until early nineteenth century, the Japanese Stork was generally common in Japan, decreasing thereafter to be finally restricted to the Pref. Fukui and Hyogo, Central Honshiu. Its records from Hokkaido (Tokachi), Honshiu (Akita, Fukui, Ishikawa, Chiba, Yokohama, Hyogo), Shikoku (Tokushima), given in the Hand-List. 1958, are all old ones, except Ishikawa, Fukui and Hyogo.<br>4. Replies to the Forestry Agency's Stork inquiry included its observation in Tochigi, Gumma, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Shiga and Hyogo, but Hyogo and Fukui are the only places where it is resident.<br>5. To another inquiry made by 'Shukan Asahi' Journal reports of its observation were sent from Akita, Miyagi, Ishikawa, Fukui, Hyogo, Shiga, Osaka and Yamanashi, but new resident locality was not added.<br>6. Izushi district in Hyogo has been its traditional breeding place since 1894. Here the maximum was ca. 100 birds of 1930 and decreased to 20 birds in 1956. In 1958, and 1959, the numbers of nests and chicks reported as follows:<br>1958 1959<br>Nests in use 7 8<br>Nests where chick fledged 1 1<br>Young birds flew 1 1<br>Individual birds 15 17 (1 bird died)<br>7. Its first breeding in Fukui was reported in 1957 at two localities, Takefu and Obama, with the following later results:<br>1957 1958 1959<br>Nests in use 2 2 2<br>Nests where chick fledged 1 0 1<br>Young birds flew 3 (1 fledged chick died) 0 2 (1 fledged chick died)<br>Individual birds 8 6 7 (1 bird died)<br>8. The following protective measures are deemed necessary:<br>1) Restriction of agricultural insecticides, 2) Preparation of artificial feeding places free from the insecticides, 3) Protection of pine woods as nesting sites, 4) Preparation of artificial nesting sites, and 5) Research on association with the herons.