Grus japonensis

The Japanese Red-Crowned Crane is a bird whose body and wing coverts are white, as is the top of the head except for the red crown. The red crown is a patch of red bare skin that deepens in color during mating. The neck and tail are black. This crane is around 5 feet tall and 3-5 feet in length with a wingspan of 7-8 feet. They weigh between 11-23 lbs.

They prefer to nest and feed in marshes with relatively deep water, building their nests in areas with standing dead vegetation.

Mainland populations migrate across NE China, dividing into 3-4 wintering sub-populations. A nest of reeds and grass is built in relatively deep water, up to 20 inches deep. They will only nest in areas with dead standing reeds 12” to 78” tall. Chicks are brown with a white spot at the base of the wing. Fledging is in about 95 days.

They are the second rarest crane, with current population estimated at 1700 to 2000 birds.

They breed readily in captivity, and captive-raised birds have been released into the wild at three natural breeding sites. Median life expectancy is 35 years.