Swans Arrive at Water-filled Rice Paddies in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:59 JST, November 14, 2023

Swans come into land Tuesday at water-filled rice paddies in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. Following a visit by six swans about 30 years ago, local residents now annually flood the harvested paddies to help the birds overwinter. According to a local swan-observing association, the first two swans of the year arrived Oct. 15, with the number rising to 153 as of Nov. 10. In some previous seasons, as many as 1,000 of the long-necked waterfowl have spent the winter months in the paddies. The swans are expected to stay until around late February.