Red-crowned Crane
Grus japonensis
VUVulnerable
- Family
- Cranes (Gruidae)
- Order
- Gruiformes
Best months to see it
- JanJanuary: Best
- FebFebruary: Best
- MarMarch: Poor or no data
- AprApril: Poor or no data
- MayMay: Poor or no data
- JunJune: Poor or no data
- JulJuly: Poor or no data
- AugAugust: Poor or no data
- SepSeptember: Poor or no data
- OctOctober: Poor or no data
- NovNovember: Poor or no data
- DecDecember: Best
BestGoodFair
Overview
The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Japanese crane and the Manchurian crane, is a large Northeast Asian crane among the rarest cranes in the world. In some parts of its range, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Diet: Fish, amphibians, insects and grain.
How to identify it
- Tall white crane with a red crown patch
- Black neck and face; black secondaries hang like a tail when standing
- Pairs dance in winter
Voice
Loud trumpeting unison calls by pairs.
Where to see it
- Kushiro, Hokkaido (Dec–Feb)
Destination guides featuring this bird
Range and habitat
Breeds Siberia, Hokkaido and Mongolia; winters eastern China and Korea.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Red-crowned crane
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
