Grus japonensis
red-crowned crane

Grus japonensis is the second rarest crane in the world. They can be found at the Amur River basin in eastern Russia and in southeastern Asia, including China and Japan. They are a migratory species; they spend their springs and summers in the wetlands of temperate East Asia. They winter in the salt and freshwater marshes of China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula. There is also a non-migratory population that remains in Hokkaido, Japan, the countries' northernmost island. (BirdLife International, 2001; Collar et al., 1988; International Crane Foundation, 2001; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

Red-crowned cranes nest and feed in marshes with deep water. This habitat preference is rare for cranes; most of their close relatives prefer shallow water. They will also nest only in areas with standing dead vegetation. Red-crowned cranes are sometimes found in agricultural areas. (Collar et al., 1988; Meine and Archibald, 2004; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

These cranes have white bodies with black on the tips of their wings and necks. They are named because of the red circle on their heads, which is actually exposed skin. Males and females look alike. Red-crowned cranes have very long and pointy beaks and can weigh up to twenty pounds. Their wingspan can be as wide as eight feet and they can reach 5 feet in height. They are one of the world's largest birds. Their basal metabolic rate is 31.4 cm^3 oxygen/hour. (IUCN, 2003; Meine and Archibald, 2004; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

These cranes usually live for 30 years in the wild and can live for over sixty years in captivity. (BirdLife International, 2001; Children of the Earth, 2004; Song, 2000)

Red-crowed cranes are communal and live in flocks. When preening they rub special oil that is secreted from a gland at the top of their tail onto their feathers to keep the feathers conditioned. Red-crowned crane bills are very pointed and sharp; cranes use them like spears. The shape of the bill makes it easier to gather food. This species is able to feed in deeper water than other cranes because of its “walk and peck” technique. (International Crane Foundation, 2001; IUCN, 2003; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

Red-crowned cranes use their courtship dance, which consists of bowing, head bobbing and leaping in order to communicate with each other. The dance is very beautiful and strengthens the bond between male and female pairs. They also have a contact call that lets other birds know where they are. The chick's contact call is much louder and more strident than the adult's, this helps them to get attention in times of distress. They can also communicate aggression by inflating the red cap on their heads. (Blair-Newton, Date Unknown; Children of the Earth, 2004; International Crane Foundation, 2001)

Their diet in the wild consist of insects, aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, rodents, reeds, grasses, heath berries, corn, and other plants. During winter months, they also feed on waste and grain in agricultural fields. In zoos, however, they are fed crane pellets, 500 grams of silverside fish (per day), and occasionally insects.

Red-crowned crane bills are very pointed and sharp; cranes use them like spears. The shape of the bill makes it easier to gather food. This species is able to feed in deeper water than other cranes because of its “walk and peck” technique. (Collar et al., 1988; International Crane Foundation, 2001; IUCN, 2003; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

Red-crowned cranes are large birds and can outrun or fly to get away from most predators in their ecosystem. They also have sharp beaks that they can use to defend themselves against predators. (BirdLife International, 2001; Children of the Earth, 2004; IUCN, 2003; Smirenski, 2000)

Because red-crowned cranes are omnivores, they impact their deep marshes ecosystem by eating both plants and animals. (Collar et al., 1988; International Crane Foundation, 2001; IUCN, 2003; Meine and Archibald, 2004)

These animals are in constant conflict with humans in Asia because the Asian countries where the cranes live are so heavily populated. There is a constant demand for more industrialization and agricultural expansion, which reduces the habitat where a large number of these cranes reside.

Red-crowned cranes are significant to people in Asia because they are strongly associated with luck and love. They may also help control pest populations because they feed on many small insects and rodents. They are also important subjects for research and education. (BirdLife International, 2001; International Crane Foundation, 2001; Plemons, 2001; Smirenski, 2000)

Economic development, especially agricultural expansion, river canalizations, deforestation, and road building, is destroying many of the breeding wetlands in Hokkaido, which support more than a quarter of the red-crowned crane population. The agricultural development of breeding and wintering grounds for the cranes is also a critical threat in China and other places that the cranes reside. Some measures have been taken to help protect Grus japonensis and its habitat. There have been international agreements and cooperative research has been done on the species and its migratory patterns. Protected areas have also been established to safeguard the crane’s' habitat and minimize disturbance. People have developed winter feeding stations, which help the cranes survive the winter months. Japan has marked its nearby utility lines to help reduce collisions and there are frequent surveys done on the breeding and wintering grounds. Red-crowned cranes have lived in captivity for centuries and have been bred by humans since 1861. A few limited reintroduction efforts have been made to help bring the birds in captivity back to the wild and educational programs have been set up to focus on helping these cranes. There are also efforts to develop an umbrella international agreement for all cranes in east Asia and also to build a complete recovery plan for Grus japonensis. It is now illegal to hunt red-crowned cranes in all nations where they naturally occur. They are listed as 'Endangered' by the IUCN and are listed under Appendix I by CITES. (BirdLife International, 2001; Collar et al., 1988; International Crane Foundation, 2001; IUCN, 2003; Meine and Archibald, 2004)

In Asia, red-crowned cranes have been symbols of fidelity in marriage, good luck, long life and love. They are considered to be very sacred. They have been the subjects of many poems, mythology and art from this region, and loosing them would mean loosing a symbol of peace and luck for the people of Asia.