Justification This species is classified as Endangered because it has a very small population, and although the population in Japan is stable, the mainland Asian population continues to decline owing to loss and degradation of wetlands through conversion to agriculture and industrial development.

Family/Sub-family Gruidae

Species name author (Müller, 1776)

Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)

Identification 150 cm. Very large, predominantly white crane. Black face and neck, but with white patch extending from behind eye to nape. Red crown. White primaries and black secondaries and tertials. Similar spp. Siberian Crane G. leucogeranus and Whooping Crane G. americana have black primaries and white necks. Black-necked Crane G. nigricollis has grey body. Voice High-pitched, penetrating calls.

Population estimate

Population trend

Range estimate (breeding/resident)

Country endemic?

1,700

decreasing

551,000 km²

No

Range & population Grus japonensis breeds in south-eastern Russia, north-east China, Mongolia (first record in 2003¹) and eastern Hokkaido, Japan. The Russian and Chinese populations mainly winter in the Yellow river delta and the coast of Jiangsu province, China, and the Demilitarised Zone, North Korea/South Korea. Staging areas exist along the Yellow river between the provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. The Japanese population is non-migratory. The population is estimated at c.2,750 birds, although since it has a long generation length (12 years), this figure is likely to include only 1,650 mature individuals³. Trends are difficult to infer from population estimates, because due to habitat degradation wintering sites are becoming more concentrated and counts are therefore likely to be becoming more accurate, but it is likely to be declining on mainland Asia³. The wintering population in China totals c.1,000 birds at two sites and declining, with another 600-750 at four locations in North/South Korea³. The resident population in Japan has increased to c.1,000 birds and has now reached carrying capacity and stabilised³.

Important Bird Areas Click here to view map showing IBAs where species is recorded and triggers any of the IBA criteria.

Ecology: In Russia and China, it breeds in grass, reed, and sedge marshes. In winter and on passage, it occurs in wetlands, including tidal flats, saltmarshes, rivers, wet grassland, saltpans and aquaculture ponds.

Threats The key threat is the loss and degradation of wetlands in its breeding and wintering grounds, principally for conversion to agriculture, but also industrial and economic development³. In China, wetlands are becoming drier as a result of surrounding development³. In Russia and China, spring fires destroy suitable nesting grounds, and the proliferation of dams lowers the water level, allowing predators access to nests and destroying suitable breeding sites³. Rainfall patterns in the breeding grounds appear to follow a 30 year cycle, and the current dry period has meant birds, people and livestock have had to depend on ever smaller areas of wetland, and there has been increased pressure to divert water from rivers and lakes⁴. Important sites on the Song-nen plain, Shuangtai Hekou and Yellow River delta are on or near major oilfields and pollution is a potential threat³. There is high adult mortality in some mainland wintering areas which is apparently due to poisoning; the species has been found to carry high levels of heavy metal contamination⁴. In the de-militarized zone of North/South Korea changing to autumn ploughing reduces access to waste grain², and there is uncertainty regarding the long-term fate of the crane habitat, whatever the political future delivers. In Japan, the concentration of birds at feeding stations means there is a risk of disease³.

Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix I and II. CMS Appendix I and II. It is legally protected in all range states. Key protected areas include Khingansky, Muraviovka and Lake Khanka (Russia), Zhalong, Xianghai, Shuangtai Hekou, Yellow river delta and Yancheng (China), Kumya and Mundok (North Korea), Kushiro, Akkeshi-Bekanbeushi and Kiritappu (Japan).

Conservation measures proposed Expand the area/number of wintering sites in Japan. Establish a transboundary protected area at Tumen estuary, between Russia/China/North Korea. Secure the conservation status of the Cholwon and Han estuary in the Demilitarised Zone. Establish protected areas on the Sanjiang plain (China). Halt tidal-flat reclamation along the Yancheng coast (China). Prevent poisoning from pesticides and poaching. Control fires in the breeding grounds. Establish interest groups for crane conservation in China.

References BirdLife International (2001). 1. O. Goroshko in litt. (2003). 2. Lee et al. (2007). 3. J. Harris in litt. (2007, 2009). 4. Harris (2008).

Further web sources of information

Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book

International Crane Foundation Species Field Guide

Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan

Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), Simon Mahood (BirdLife International), Nic Peet (BirdLife International), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Contributors Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), O. Goroshko, Jim Harris (International Crane Foundation), Zuo Wei David Li (Wetlands International), Mikhail Parilov, Sergei Smirenski (International Crane Foundation)

IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International), Simba Chan (Wild Bird Society of Japan), Andy Symes (BirdLife International)

Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Grus japonensis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

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