White-naped crane

The white-naped crane is an arresting bird, easily identified by its pinkish legs, gray and white striped neck, and a distinctive red patch on its face. These cranes inhabit northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and parts of southeastern Russia during the breeding season.

Conservation efforts for this species are ongoing, such as the program at the Khingan Nature Reserve where eggs from U.S. zoos are incubated and raised to bolster their population. When winter arrives, these cranes migrate to various locations including the Yangtze River, the Korean Demilitarized Zone, Kyūshū in Japan, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan.

Unfortunately, the white-naped crane is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with only about 4,900 to 5,400 individuals remaining in the wild. This decline is primarily attributed to habitat loss and hunting. They have a diverse diet that includes insects, seeds, roots, plants, and small animals.

In South Korea, the white-naped crane is designated as natural monument 203. Notably, a molecular study in 2010 resulted in a reclassification, placing the white-naped crane in the genus Antigone, along with three other crane species, to ensure the genera are monophyletic.