The Red-crowned Crane is the second rarest crane species, with a total population in the wild of perhaps 2,000 birds. It is illegal to hunt them in all of the nations where they normally occur.
Red-crowned Cranes have been maintained in captivity for centuries and are known to have bred in captivity in 1861.
Highly aquatic birds with large home ranges, these cranes feed in water, using a “walk-and-peck” feeding technique. From summer to fall they forage regularly on pasturelands in Japan.
In the 1950s, farmers began spreading corn on their fields for the birds to eat during the long winter. This annual ritual and marking utility lines helped bring the Red-crowned Crane back from certain extinction.
Its long coiled windpipe enables it to trumpet so loudly it can be heard a mile away or more.
Red-crowned Cranes breed in northeastern China and adjacent parts of Russia and migrate to coastal China and the Korean peninsula. There is also a sedentary group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
A substantial amount of breeding habitat has been lost to agricultural development and other human economic activities. They prefer to nest and feed in marshes.
They pair for life and their reputation for fidelity has made them a favorite motif on wedding kimonos. Cranes have been honored for hundreds of years as symbols of good luck, happiness and love. |
