Manchurian/Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis

The RED-CROWNED CRANE, also called JAPANESE or MANCHURIAN CRANE, is native to Manchuria, Northeast China, Japan and Korea; it migrates to Siberia/Mongolia.

It features in oriental art, particularly its dancing/courtship displays (such displays are common to most cranes).

The apparent black "tail" is/are its wing-tips; the actual tail is white.

Unlike the Black-necked Crane, it has a pure white body (no grey as an adult), a white nape and partial white back of its neck (less extensive than the White-naped Crane).

Restricted now to a few isolated areas of its former range and one the world's rarest birds, it continues to be threatened by destruction of wetlands and by human encroachment.

The juvenile Manchurian/Red-crowned Crane has a light brown head/neck, light brown mottling on its white body plumage and a dark brown bustle.

Juvenile Manchurian/Red-crowned Crane - showing the black/brown wing edges that make the bustle and the actual short white tail.

A younger juvenile crane