Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) Program in Fukushima, Japan (2021 to 2023)

Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) is a method developed in North America to monitor local avifauna by constant-effort mist netting and banding during breeding seasons across years. Following the protocol of MAPS, we have been studying the avifauna of Fukushima, Japan since 2012. Here, we report the results obtained from 2021 to 2023. Results including adult abundance index, productivity index, and apparent adult survival rate from the entire study period (2012 – 2023) were also analyzed. Adult abundance of Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone at a study site in Minami-soma City was relatively stable. At a study site in Iitate Village however, adult abundance of this species fluctuated greatly. Adult abundance of the Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis in Minami-Soma has been generally increasing during the study years while that of the Oriental Greenfinch Chloris sinica has increased in the later years (2018 – 2020). Adult survival of the Oriental Reed Warbler from 2012 – 2013 to 2021 – 2022 in Minami-Soma was 0.21 – 0.36 (average = 0.27).