Hooded Crane

Hooded Crane, Feb 2021, Kagoshima, Japan

In southwestern Japan, in the Kyushu region, several species of cranes migrate from the Eurasian continent to spend the winter.

The Hooded Crane is slightly smaller and has a distinctive dark red patch on its forehead.

In the morning, it flies out from its roost, and seeing a V-shaped flock soaring through the orange sky at sunrise is quite a spectacle.

In this area, you can see Hooded Cranes along with White-naped Cranes, Common Cranes, and Sandhill Cranes. Depending on the year, if you are lucky, you might even spot one more species of crane.