Demoiselle Crane

Demoiselle Crane (Grus virgo) is the smallest crane, pale grey with black breast plumes, white ear tufts and elongated black neck feathers. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds on open steppe and migrates over mountains to wintering grasslands and farmland, feeding on seeds and small animals. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).