Red-Crowned Cranes Perform Dance of Love at Hokkaido Sanctuary

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:51 JST, January 15, 2025

A pair of Tancho, or red-crowned cranes, perform a dance of love in the village of Tsurui in Hokkaido. The elegant birds, designated as a special natural monument of the country, fly from their habitat at a nearby stream to a feeding ground of the Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary in the village, which is operated by the Wild Bird Society of Japan. While dancing, cranes spread their wings and jump, and the male birds raise high-pitched cries. According to the sanctuary, there are about 1,900 tancho living mainly in eastern Hokkaido.