JP019Lower Tokachi river

Site Description

Wetlands

The lower Tokachigawa river, 40 km from its estuary, consists of the Tokachigawa river, farmlands and a cutoff lake. The Tokachigawa river was straightened by 1945, and this also created farmlands and a lake. For 30 km from the estuary where the Ribetsugawa river flows in, the Tokachigawa river runs slowly without shallow bottoms, and the upper part of the river is rapids. On the dry riverbed areas within banks are grasslands and pastures with trees such as Salix, and herbs such as Artemisia montana, Phalaris arundinacea. Japanese Cranes and Red-necked Grebes nest in the wetland areas near the lake. During spring and autumn migration seasons, about 5,000 geese (White-fronted Goose, and Bean) stop over, and the White-tailed Eagle and the Steller’s Sea Eagles winter here.

Area & Coordinates

10,000ha 42°47′N 143°33′E
region: Hokkaido

Designation Type

National Monument, Wildlife Protection Area (Local)

Protection Status

Unprotected

Conservation issues

Disturbance to Birds
Infrastructure

Birds

Breeding resident

Mergus merganser, Dendrocopos major, Parus palustris, Sitta europaea

Breeding visitor

Grus japonensis, Acrocephalus bistrigiceps, Phylloscopus coronatus, Emberiza schoeniclus, Emberiza spodocephala

Winter visitor

Anser albifrons, Anser fabalis, Haliaeetus albicilla, Haliaeetus pelagicus

Passage visitor

Anas querquedula, Calidris ruficollis, Tringa nebularia, Phalaropus lobatus