Abstract
The distribution of the Ryukyu Robin Erithacus komadori was investigated from field observations, museum skins, references and personal communications. The species is endemic to southwestern Japan, with a single specimen, a male, from Korea and one sight record from Taiwan. Many individuals have been observed in the northern Tokara Islands in the breeding season, but few remain in winter, while on the other hand, there are few records of the species in the southern, Yayeyama, islands, and all are from nonbreeding season. It seems that some of its northern populations would have migrated south in winter. The measurements and plumage characters described by Kuroda (1923) for his new form, subrufus, are not distinctive enough, in our comparison, from those of the race komadori. Furthermore, the type specimen of E. k. subrufus was collected in Yonakunijima in the migratory season, October. It is, therefore, condluded that the race subrufus is a synonym of komadori. The sporadic present distribution of the Ryukyu Robin reveals its recent relic status from its former more extensive distribution.
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