Hooded Crane

The Hooded Crane is one of the smaller and less numerous crane species, breeding in remote wetlands and bogs of southeastern Russia and wintering primarily in Japan, with smaller numbers in China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the white feathering covering the head and upper neck, which contrasts sharply against the dark slate-grey to blackish body plumage, giving the impression of a hood pulled over the head.

• Body feathers are dark slate-grey to blackish, notably darker overall than the paler grey of the Common Crane or Sarus Crane.
• Head and upper neck feathers are white, forming a distinct 'hood' that contrasts sharply with the dark body - a key identification feature for this species.
• Tertial (bustle) feathers are elongated, drooping, and dark grey to blackish, curling over the tail.
• The bare red crown patch sits within the white-feathered head area.
• Distinguish from the White-naped Crane, which has a grey (not blackish) body and a white stripe confined to the nape/hindneck rather than covering the whole head and upper neck.

Adults have a dark slate-grey to blackish body, a white head and upper neck, and a bare red crown patch, along with elongated drooping dark tertial bustle feathers. Sexes look alike. Juveniles are duller brownish-grey overall, with reduced white on the head, gradually acquiring the full white hood and dark body contrast as they mature. Molt follows the short breeding season in remote Russian wetlands.

Hooded Cranes breed in remote wetlands, bogs, and forested marshes of southeastern Russia and possibly small areas of northeastern China, and winter mainly in Japan, particularly at a small number of key wintering sites, with additional smaller wintering populations in China and the Korean Peninsula. It is a fully migratory species with a relatively narrow migratory corridor and a small, concentrated wintering population.

This crane forages in wetlands and adjacent farmland for grains, aquatic plants, and small invertebrates, often in flocks at wintering sites. It nests on the ground in remote, undisturbed marsh and bog habitat, laying a small clutch. Its call is a resonant trumpeting bugle, similar to other Grus cranes. Because a large proportion of the world population concentrates at just a few wintering sites in Japan, the species is particularly vulnerable to disturbance or disease outbreaks at those locations, making site protection a key conservation priority.