Animalia Life

Grus japonensis
SUBFAMILY
Gruinae
TAXONOMY
Ardea (Grus) japonensis P.L.S. Mьller, 1776 Japan. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Japanese crane, Manchurian crane; French: Grue du Japon; German: Mandschurenkranich; Spanish: Grulla Manchь.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Height 59 in (150 cm); wingspan 86.6–98.4 in (220–250 cm); weight 15.4–22 lb (7–10 kg). White body with black neck and white nape. Red skin on crown.
DISTRIBUTION
Most breed in the Amur River basin near the China-Russia border and winter in coastal areas of China and on the Korean peninsula, many within the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). A nonmigratory population remains year-round on Hokkaido–, Japan.
HABITAT
More aquatic, using marshes and other deep wetland areas. Winter habitat includes rivers, freshwater wetlands, and coastal salt-marshes.
BEHAVIOR
Well-known for their elaborate courtship dances.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
A generalist, it feeds on insects, fish, rodents, and plants.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Lays 2 eggs, incubated for 29–34 days. Chicks fledge at about 95 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered, and listed on CITES Appendix I.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
The “sacred crane” is widely revered in the Orient as a symbol of fidelity in marriage, good luck, long life, and love. These cranes are often the subjects of poems, mythology, and art.

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