Yanbaru Rail at Yasuda Kuina Fureai Park, Okinawa

I went on a trip to Okinawa in February 2026 and saw a Yanbaru Rail.

One of the purposes of our family trip to Okinawa this time was to see the Okinawa Rail. This was the wish of my two children.

What is the Okinawa Rail?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Okinawa rail (Gallirallus okinawae) is a species of bird in the rail family, Rallidae. It is endemic to Okinawa Island in Japan where it is known as the Yanbaru kuina (ヤンバルクイナ（山原水鶏）, “Yanbaru rail”). Its existence was only confirmed in 1978 and it was formally described in 1981 although unidentified rails had been recorded on the island since at least 1973 and local stories of a bird known as the agachi kumira may refer to this species.[2] The species was formerly placed in the genus Hypotaenidia.

It is a medium-sized and almost flightless rail with short wings and tail, olive-brown upperparts, black underparts with white bars and a red bill and legs.

It occurs in subtropical moist forests and in neighboring habitats. It nests and feeds on the ground but usually roosts in trees. It is classified as an endangered species and is threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators.

Okinawa Rail Ecology Exhibition and Learning Facility: The Rail Forest

The Okinawa Rail, native to Okinawa, is not a bird you can see just anywhere. It is an endangered species and is carefully protected by the government. The Okinawa Rail Ecological Exhibition and Learning Facility, commonly known as “Kuina no Mori” (Rail Forest), is a place where you can see these birds alive.

This facility is located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, so you’ll need to drive there. We rented a car near Naha Airport and the one-way trip took about four hours. Along the way, we enjoyed looking at Okinawa’s beautiful ocean and buying local specialties at roadside rest areas.

And finally, I was able to see a Yanbaru rail. Only one Yanbaru rail was on display at the facility, but this was for the conservation of the Yanbaru rail. Yanbaru rails are territorial birds, and if multiple Yanbaru rails are kept in the same place, they will fight.

This Okinawa Rail was very clean; when I first saw it, it was preening its feathers. It was also very intelligent, remembering meal times precisely. When it was time to eat, it moved to the feeding area on its own and took its food. I wish my children would take a lesson from it…