Japanese robin

The Japanese robin, also known as the komadori, is an enchanting little bird that belongs to the Muscicapidae family. These birds can be found in regions extending from the southern Kuril and Sakhalin Islands to Japan. Interestingly, the name "Japanese robin" sometimes also refers to the red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea), which can be quite misleading.

In Japanese, the specific term for the Japanese robin is akahige, which actually refers to Larvivora komadori. This can occasionally cause confusion, especially since the bird has undergone several classification changes over the years.

Initially, the Japanese robin was grouped with the Ryukyu robin and the European robin under the genus Erithacus. However, a molecular phylogenetic study in 2006 discovered that the Japanese and Ryukyu robins were more closely related to the Siberian blue robin, then classified under the genus Luscinia, rather than to the European robin. Further studies in 2010 confirmed these findings and demonstrated that Luscinia was not a cohesive group (non-monophyletic). As a result, researchers reinstated the genus Larvivora. Currently, Larvivora includes the Japanese robin, the Ryukyu robin, the Siberian blue robin, and a few other species previously classified under Luscinia.