Yambaru is a land of forests and mountains. Rich in woodland, this northern region of Okinawa island is home to the Okinawan rail bird. Whenever you hear “ki-ki-ki” and “kwi-kwi-kwi” at Yambaru National Park, that is the cry of the Okinawan rail bird.
However, the moment a wild Okinawan rail bird senses humans, it’ll disappear immediately. Even the locals rarely get to see them, so you’d have to be very lucky to glimpse one yourself. To get an up-close look at these elusive birds, we encourage you to visit the “Okinawa Rail Ecology Center” at Kunigami Village. There, you can see an extremely rare “amiable” Okinawan rail bird.