China to Donate 2 Japanese Crested Ibises to Japan
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In an effort to bring back the Japanese Crested Ibis from extinction in Japan, China will award 2 Japanese Crested Ibises to Japan by mid-October, the first such donation since 2000, officials said Tuesday. In exchange, 13 birds born in the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, will be taken back to China. This news comes on the heels of China’s loan of 2 Giant Pandas sent to Italy several days ago.
Yuuyuu – Photo Nipponia
Conservationists hope resuming the joint research program will accelerate government efforts to return the birds to the wild.
The pair of birds have been selected from adult birds in captivity in Shaanxi Province and are currently under quarantine. The last Crested Ibis that China gave to Japan before the suspension of the program was female Mei Mei, in October 2000.
In 1999 the China donated a pair named Youyou and Yangyang to Japan for a breeding program, aimed at eventual reintroduction. They became the parents of Yu Yu, Japan’s first Toki chick hatched by artificial incubation. The ‘birth’ was highly celebrated throughout Japan, and more and more people began supporting the campaign to bring Toki back to the skies.
Two more chicks were hatched in 2000, then 11 more from 2 pairs in 2001. The Ibis Conservation Centre on Sado Island in the Sea of Japan now has 107 birds and the first steps for their release are being taken.
Photo Daily Yomiuri
The Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia Nippon), or Toki is pinkish all over and has long plumes along back of its head and neck. The facial skin is exposed, bare and reddish in color. They have strongly curved dark bills with reddish tips.
The Crested Ibis were typically found in irrigated rice fields in mountainous areas, along streams, and near reservoirs. They feed on small mammals in wetlands, but also search for insects in grasslands and irrigated rice fields. Toki builds platform nests made of twigs atop large trees and roost in tree tops.
Once widely found in Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula and Russia, the Japanese Crested Ibis is Japan’s rarest bird that became extinct in Japan 26 years ago when the last pair vanished on Sado Island. The government designated it as a species for special protection.
The Crested Ibis once inhabited lakes and wetlands throughout Japan. By 1981 there were no more of the birds in the wild in Japan. In 1981, the government captured the last 5 Japanese Crested Ibises in the wild and attempted to breed the bird. But the program failed and the bird became extinct in Japan when the last Crested Ibis named Kin died in October 2003.
During the breeding season (February to July), feathers on the
birds’ heads, wings and back are dark gray. Photo Nipponia
Toki were rediscovered in China after it was thought they had become extinct there. The government of China protected the species by prohibiting tree cutting and pesticide use in the area, and succeeded in breeding the birds artificially. By July 2001, the population had recovered to about 155 Crested Ibis in the wild and 175 in captivity.
Japan currently has about 100 Crested Ibises which are descendants of Chinese-born Crested Ibises, including some presented by Beijing. The conservation center on Sado Island initiated a project in 1999 to breed Japanese crested ibises from Chinese-born pairs, with goals to release them back into their natural habitat.
The breeding project in Japan is carried out by pairing a male and a female bird from descendants of the first pair donated by China, and from descendants of Yu Yu — the first descendant of the Chinese pair — and Mei Mei. So far, 11 pairs have laid 54 eggs in this year’s breeding season.
Workers give chicks liquid food through a special device similar
to a needle-less syringe. Photo Nipponia
The downside to these efforts is that the birds have close blood ties. To prevent deformities resulting from inbreeding, experts have urged expanding the number of birds by bringing in new mates from outside.
In August 2004, China agreed to send 2 more Crested Ibises to Japan on loan. In the wake of the bird flu pandemic, Japan banned imports and exports of birds, thereby placing the project on hold.
When Mei Mei arrived in 2000, it was agreed that Japan would return every 2nd chick of Mei Mei and Yu Yu back to China. But due to the bird flu scare, no birds were sent back to China after 5 birds were returned in 2001 and 2002. The 13 birds to be returned this year hatched after the program was suspended.
The Sabo conservation center moved some young birds to a new facility so they could adapt to the natural environment last June, in effort to return the Japanese Crested Ibis to the wild as early as autumn next year. They’re currently being trained to master flying and catch food.
Sources: Daily Yomiuri, Nipponia and Japanese Society for Preservation of Birds (JSPB)
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This is the kind of blog I wish I could write. Something new and interesting every day. I look forward to it.
this is so generous of the Chinese Government….wouldn’t it lovely if more countries could adopt this generous approach Deborah
Why did I not find this blog sooner?I liked reading through
Beautiful blog.Will be back if you don’t mind for more He!He!He! Thanks for sharing.Wish you well
Thanks so much David, I really appreciate your kind words
It certainly drives home a message Kim. One can certainly hope
Thank you Zingtrial! Look forward to seeing you around here
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