Clear skies and trees with only young leaves in spring provide visitors with great conditions to observe a variety of birds in their natural habitats around Niseko. Put on your snowshoes or rubber boots and walk into the woods to seek out these unique experiences.

Spring is the best season for bird-watching, as migratory birds have begun to travel back North and many different species will make stops in Niseko.
Between May and early summer, you are likely to hear birds chirping and singing tirelessly as they search for potential mates.

In the Niseko area, several different kinds of woodpeckers can be seen and heard. Niseko town's official mascot, "Nicky," is a Great Spotted Woodpecker, characterized by its black body, white belly and red crest.
You may also encounter black woodpeckers as large as crows (indeed, the largest of the woodpeckers) while you are snowshoeing through the coniferous trees that have been pocked by these birds' search for food.
The black woodpeckers are designated a protected species in Japan, as well as listed as a vulnerable species in the Japanese version of the Ornithic Red List.
In contrast, pygmy woodpeckers, the smallest species found in Japan, are as small as sparrows and seen in Niseko throughout the year, although they are much rarer in other parts of the world.