The Red-crowned Crane is a very rare bird worldwide, known as the “Jewel of the Eastern Sea”, and is listed by the World Bird Association in the Internationally Protected Bird List.
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(Photo: env) |
In the past, this bird species was distributed throughout China, the Soviet Union, Japan, and Korea. However, it has completely disappeared from the Soviet Union and Korea, with only a few remaining in captivity in Japan, and it has not been seen in China for over 20 years. It wasn’t until 1981 that seven individuals were discovered in Yang County, Shaanxi Province, and thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers have increased since then.
The Red-crowned Crane has a long beak, a crest on its head, red cheeks, and its body is covered with white feathers along with red accents. It has willow-like feathers hanging down from its neck, and its body is approximately 80 cm long. It usually perches on tall trees and flies down to fields, ponds, or streams to hunt for grasshoppers, frogs, small fish, snails, and catfish.
The Red-crowned Crane has many predators; crows and ferrets often approach nests to steal eggs and chicks. Therefore, it carefully selects nesting sites. The cranes typically incubate their eggs and raise their young while also expanding and reinforcing their nests. They lay eggs in May, usually 3-4 eggs at a time. Both the male and female take turns incubating. After about a month, the eggs hatch, and the chicks break free from their shells. The parents continue to care for them, feeding them together. After a month, the chicks develop full wing feathers and begin to learn to fly, soon becoming capable of foraging for themselves.
Red-crowned Crane – Nipponia nippon in captivity at a zoo (Photo: xckjg)
