Sandhill Crane

Cranes rarely come to the Oki Islands, and so far, white-naped crane, hooded crane and Siberian crane have been observed. The sandhill crane is an extremely rare visitor to Japan, with only one or two birds being confirmed each year. But in 2012, a sandhill crane arrived in Oki and became a resident, and is attracting a lot of attention. The bird can be observed throughout the year in the paddy fields in Goka area of Okinoshima Town, under the benevolent watch of the locals. The sandhill crane is a crane from North America and extreme northeastern Siberia, and fly to their wintering grounds in the southwestern part of the Americas. This crane very rarely migrates to Japan and the individual is considered to be a vagrant bird.