The Cleanup Crew: Swans Glean Fallen Ears of Rice in Akita Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:49 JST, November 10, 2025

Swans glean fallen ears of rice from a paddy in the Nishime community in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture. Recently, as winter has begun to approach, swans have been arriving across the prefecture. They nest in spots such as ponds and beside the city’s Koyoshi River, and during the day they search for food in places like rice paddies. However, a prefectural official warned, “People should not feed the swans and should maintain their distance when watching them, due to the risk of contracting avian influenza.”