This is the eerie moment hundreds of birds filled the sky in Japan following the massive earthquake in Russia.

The magnitude 8.8 quake struck off the eastern coast of Kamchatka at 11:25 am local time (UTC+12) on Wednesday, July 30. The US Geological Survey reports that the quake occurred at a depth of 19.3 kilometres.

Authorities said the powerful tremor triggered tsunami waves as high as 13ft along Russia's coastline, leading to evacuations and causing damage to buildings.

Footage captured by Hiroki Iwamoto shows a large flock of birds flying above a residential area in Kushiro, Hokkaido.

Hiroki said: 'The tsunami advisory was upgraded to a warning. The seagulls were making a commotion before the evacuation. I'd been seeing this kind of thing since yesterday, and the elderly man across the street told me that this is what happens when the sea gets rough. I hope everything passes safely.'

The US Tsunami Warning System issued an alert for hazardous tsunami waves expected within the next three hours along parts of the coasts of Russia, Japan, and Hawaii.

A tsunami watch was also issued for the US territory of Guam and several islands in Micronesia, while a tsunami warning was in effect for Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands.

The warning centre also placed the US West Coast under a tsunami watch, including southern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, specifically Los Angeles Harbour.

The watch extended inland along Washington's Salish Sea, covering Port Angeles, Port Townsend, and Bellingham.

The Kamchatka Peninsula lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for intense seismic and volcanic activity.