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| Japanese Society for Ornithology | |
|---|---|
| Name | Japanese Society for Ornithology |
| Native name | 日本鳥学会 |
| Abbreviation | JSO |
| Formation | 1912 |
| Type | Learned society |
| Headquarters | Tokyo |
| Region served | Japan |
| Language | Japanese, English |
| Leader title | President |
Japanese Society for Ornithology is a learned society devoted to the study of ornithology in Japan and adjacent regions. Founded in the early 20th century, the society links researchers, educators, museum curators, and conservationists across institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Hokkaido University, Kyoto University, National Museum of Nature and Science (Japan), and regional observatories. It maintains ties with international bodies including the International Ornithologists' Union, the BirdLife International partnership, the Wetlands International network, and bilateral collaborations with the American Ornithological Society and the British Trust for Ornithology.
The society was established in 1912 amid growing scientific activity at institutions like Tokyo Imperial University, the Zoological Society of London-influenced museums, and regional stations on Hokkaido and Okinawa. Early figures associated with the society worked alongside curators at the Natural History Museum, London, corresponded with ornithologists at the American Museum of Natural History, and exchanged specimens with collectors active in Formosa and Korea (historical). During the Showa period the society navigated challenges posed by events including the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War, maintaining publications and postwar reconstruction of collections at institutions such as the National Museum of Nature and Science (Japan) and university departments at Kyoto University and Osaka University. In the late 20th century the society expanded international engagement through joint symposia with the Society of European Ornithologists and research programs with the Australian Museum and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The society promotes field studies, captive studies, and museum-based research across taxa including passerines, raptors, waterfowl, and seabirds. It supports projects on species such as the Japanese Crane (Grus japonensis), Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni), Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), and migratory shorebirds that use the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Activities include organizing expeditions to regions like Hokkaido, Izu Islands, Ogasawara Islands, Ryukyu Islands, and monitoring programs linked to the Ramsar Convention sites and national parks such as Daisetsuzan National Park and Kushiro Wetlands. The society collaborates with agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment (Japan), prefectural governments, the Wild Bird Society of Japan, and university laboratories to advance avian ecology, systematics, behavior, and conservation policy.
The society publishes a peer-reviewed journal and periodicals that disseminate research on taxonomy, migration, behavior, and conservation. Its flagship journal features articles on molecular phylogenetics using methods from labs at Kyoto University and Hokkaido University, comparative studies referencing specimens from the National Museum of Nature and Science (Japan), and long-term data sets from observatories like Cape Nosappu and Sado Island. Proceedings from annual meetings and special issues have included contributions co-authored with researchers affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, the Natural History Museum, London, the Korean Society of Ornithology, and the Chinese Ornithological Society. The society also issues identification guides, checklists, and monographs used by staff at zoos such as Ueno Zoo and conservation NGOs like BirdLife International partners.
Membership spans professional ornithologists, academic researchers, conservation practitioners, museum curators, and citizen scientists affiliated with organizations including the Wild Bird Society of Japan and regional birdwatching clubs. Governance follows a council structure with elected officers including a president, vice-presidents, secretaries, and editorial boards drawn from universities such as Tohoku University, Nagoya University, and Kyushu University. Committees coordinate areas like taxonomy, migration monitoring, conservation policy, ethics, and public outreach, collaborating with governmental bodies such as the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan) when museum collections are involved.
The society holds annual general meetings hosted by universities or museums—recent venues included Hokkaido University, University of Tokyo, and the National Museum of Nature and Science (Japan). Meetings feature plenary lectures by invited scholars from institutions like the American Ornithological Society, the British Ornithologists' Club, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, symposia on topics such as avian influenza ecology with participants from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Japan), and workshops on banding and telemetry techniques with representatives from the Japan Wildlife Research Center. The society also sponsors field conferences on islands including Minami-Tori-shima and coastal monitoring sessions at Miyazaki Prefecture sites.
Members have contributed to taxonomy revisions, migration route discoveries, and long-term population monitoring that informed policy at the Ministry of the Environment (Japan) and designation of Ramsar Convention wetlands. Research on threatened taxa—such as recovery programs for the Japanese Crane and habitat restoration for Ryukyu Rail (Gallirallus okinawae)—involved partnerships with the Wild Bird Society of Japan, municipal governments, and international collaborators including the IUCN Species Survival Commission. Studies on avian influenza and lead poisoning have linked society research to public health institutions like the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Japan) and environmental remediation programs at industrial sites overseen by prefectural authorities.
The society confers awards recognizing lifetime achievement, early-career research, and outstanding field studies, with recipients drawn from universities such as Kyoto University, Hokkaido University, and international institutions including the Smithsonian Institution and the Natural History Museum, London. Special honors commemorate historical figures associated with Japanese ornithology and are presented at annual meetings alongside medals and publication prizes that encourage collaboration with bodies like the International Ornithologists' Union and regional societies.
Category:Ornithological organizations Category:Scientific societies based in Japan