For the first time in Fujian, the red-crowned crane, a national first-class protected animal, was observed in the wild

Fuzhou, January 1 (Chen Jianquan) The reporter learned from the Fujian Provincial Forestry Bureau on the 15th that on the afternoon of the 15th, in the synchronous monitoring of wintering waterbirds across the country, technicians from the Fujian Provincial Forestry Survey and Planning Institute and the Ningde Forestry Bureau observed a red-crowned crane (scientific name: Grus japonensis), a national first-class protected animal, along the beach in the northeast of Xiapu County. This is the first time that red-crowned cranes have been recorded in the wild in Fujian Province.

The red-crowned crane, a national first-class protected animal, appeared in the coastal flats of Xiapu County, Fujian Province. Photo by Pan Logo

Red-crowned crane is a large wading bird of the family Crane family, with a body length of 120-160 cm, mostly white body, bright red on the top of the head, black throat and neck, and white ears to headrest, distributed in northeast China, eastern Mongolia, the east bank of the Ussuri River in Russia, North Korea, South Korea and Hokkaido, Japan.

In China, red-crowned cranes generally only overwinter in Yancheng in Jiangsu, the Yellow River Delta in Shandong, and the Liaohe estuary. According to Shanghai media reports in December 2023, the red-crowned crane was recorded as the southernmost in Dongtan on Chongming Island in Shanghai, and the survey pushed it south to Xiapu County, Fujian Province.

The red-crowned crane, a national first-class protected animal, flies on the beach in Xiapu County, Fujian Province. Photo by Pan Logo

Red-crowned cranes usually inhabit open plains, swamps, lakes, meadows, seaside tidal flats, reeds, and riparian swamps. The survey found that red-crowned cranes forage on tidal flats after low tide, surrounded by populations of waterbirds such as herons and great egrets. The tidal flat has a vast area, sparse vegetation, and little human disturbance in the surrounding area. According to the observation of the investigation team, the red-crowned crane was active on a tidal flat for a long time, with a range of no more than 50 meters and a time of more than 2 hours. (ENDS)