Because the red-crowned crane was named in 1776, in China it was the 41st year of Qianlong Emperor Gaozong's reign, and in Japan it was the fifth year of Emperor Go-Taoyuan's An'ei, both of which were a time of retreat. At that time, Westerners could only understand China from Guangzhou and Japan from Nagasaki. Red-crowned cranes migrate south from Northeast China and use Kyushu and Honshu in Japan as their winter destinations. Therefore, Westerners can only use Japan as a window to see this animal. Name it "Japanese Crane".
Red-crowned cranes breed in the Nen River, Songhua River and Ussuri River basins; they winter in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and along the coast; they are migratory birds in Hebei and Shandong, and are occasionally seen in Taiwan. They are national first-level protected animals and are large wading birds. The total length is about 120 cm, and the body feathers are almost entirely pure white. The exposed part of the head is bright red; the forehead and eyes have slightly black feathers; the throat, cheeks and most of the neck are dark brown. The secondary and tertiary flight feathers are black, extended and curved into a bow shape. The tail feathers are short and white. The mouth is gray-green and the feet are gray-black.
Red-crowned cranes are widely distributed in six countries including China, Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. Judging from the geographical breeding area, it is mainly distributed in the Heilongjiang River Basin in Northeast Asia and Hokkaido in Japan. During migration, it passes through the vast North China Plain and overwinters in the Korean Peninsula in East Asia, the coastal beaches of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, or its southern areas. The Hokkaido red-crowned crane in Japan is considered a non-migratory resident bird. ?
Extended information
The cultural significance of the red-crowned crane
It is recognized as a first-class literary bird in Chinese history. The Ming and Qing dynasties gave the red-crowned crane the cultural connotation of loyalty, integrity, and high moral character. Civil servants of the first rank embroidered the red-crowned crane on their uniforms, which was listed as an important symbol second only to the dragon and phoenix used exclusively by the royal family. Therefore, people also called the crane the "first-rank bird." People also regard the crane as a symbol of high officials.
In fact, the legendary crane is the red-crowned crane. It is a large wading bird that lives in swamps or shallow water areas. It is often dubbed the "God of Wetlands". It has nothing to do with the pine trees that grow in the mountains and hills. However, because the red-crowned crane has a lifespan of 50 to 60 years, people often paint it together with pine trees as a symbol of longevity.
Residents in East Asia use red-crowned cranes to symbolize happiness, luck, longevity and loyalty. It appears frequently in literature and art works from various countries. In the tombs of the Yin and Shang Dynasties, the image of the crane appears in sculptures. Bronze bells and crane-shaped ritual vessels have appeared since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Japanese Crane
Baidu Encyclopedia - Red Crowned Crane
People's Daily Online - Red Crowned Crane