Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a large grey crane with a red forehead, white cheek and long dark bill, often stained rusty by iron-rich mud. 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 nests in North American and Siberian wetlands and feeds widely on grain, tubers, insects and small vertebrates. 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).