Grus japonensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	GRUIFORMES	GRUIDAE

Scientific Name:

Grus japonensis

Species Authority:

(Müller, 1776)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Japanese Crane, Manchurian Crane, Red-crowned Crane
Spanish	–	Grulla de Manchuria, Grulla Manchú

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered C1 ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Symes, A., Butchart, S., Bird, J., Chan, S.

Contributor/s:

Goroshko, O., Harris, J., Chan, S., Li, Z., Smirenski, S., Parilov, M.

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.

History:

2008	–	Endangered
2004	–	Endangered
2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Vulnerable
1994	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	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.
Countries:	Native: China; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Mongolia; Russian Federation Vagrant: Taiwan, Province of China
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimate is 2,750 individuals, Jim Harris in litt 2007 recommended that this equates to 1,650 mature individuals.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and 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.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	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.

Major Threat(s):

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 Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Conservation Actions 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 Actions 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.

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions 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 Actions 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.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Grus japonensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided