Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis): habitat and range

Fun facts

GeneralA symbol of long life in Japan; the pairs perform a synchronised dance on the snow.
In Japan, China and Korea it has symbolised longevity and marital fidelity for more than a thousand years, and the tradition of folding a thousand origami cranes is inspired by it.
The Japanese population was given up for extinct until some thirty surviving birds were found in the Kushiro marshes on Hokkaido in 1924: today there are more than a thousand, thanks to winter feeding stations maintained by local farmers.
It performs its courtship dance, with leaps, wing-flapping and the tossing of tufts of grass, outside the breeding season too, and it appears to reinforce the pair bond.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat and environment: Freshwater marshes and wetlands of north-eastern Asia; winters in the rice fields and estuaries of China and Korea
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 31 days
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grus_japonensis

Where to find it

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Red-crowned Crane — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family

Shares a park

Same taxonomic family

How to help

The red-crowned crane is classified as vulnerable. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 4 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

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Red-crowned Crane