Big, powerful, predominantly white crane with black face and neck are gorgeous birds, but they are known for their red crown.
Red-crowned Cranes are the only crane species that have white primary feathers. Adult forehead and crown are covered with bare red skin, and a large white band extends from behind the eyes and meets sharply with the black lower neck. The majority of the body is pure white with the exception of black secondary and tertiary feathers. Eyes are black and legs are slatey to grayish black. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, although males tend to be slightly larger in size.
Red-crowned Cranes are highly aquatic cranes with large home ranges. They feed in deeper water than other cranes. They also forage regularly on pasturelands in Japan, and in winter they use coastal salt marshes, rivers, freshwater marshes, rice paddies, and cultivated fields. Red-crowned Cranes prefer to nest in marshes with relatively deep water and standing dead vegetation. Red-crowned Cranes are well adapted to cold temperatures.
There are currently two main populations of Japanese crane; one is resident to the Island of Hokkaido in northern Japan and does not migrate. The second population breeds in north-eastern China, Russia and Mongolia and migrates to eastern China, and North and South Korea where it spends the winter.
The red-crowned crane is also known as the Japanese crane. In some parts of the world, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity and fidelity.
Japanese cranes usually pair for life and perform an elaborate, synchronized courtship dance to reinforce this bond
Japanese cranes are the most aquatic species of crane and prefer to forage in deep water
In the Orient, the Japanese crane is sacred and seen as a symbol of fidelity, love and longevity
The wingspan of the Japanese crane measures up to 2.5 meters!
These beautiful birds were almost hunted to extinction in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century for their stunning plumage
The global population is estimated to number c.2,750 individuals, which roughly equates to 1,650 mature individuals
The Magnificent Red-crowned Crane