National Bird of China | Symbols of China
The Red-crowned Crane is the Unofficial National Bird of China. Its scientific name is Grus japonensis. It is also famous as the Japanese crane. The Bird was Proposed as National Bird by State Forestry Administration in 2007 and Awaiting for State Council approval. It won an overwhelming 64.92 percent of the vote held on more than twenty Chinese websites from May to June 2004 attracting around 5 million netizens.
In China, The Red-crowned Crane is a symbol of elegance and flight. In some of the Chinese legends, they are seen as being helpful and wise. They are often associated with the idea of immortality and the journey of life. People of China usually draw the fairy crane and aged pine trees together to stand for the prolonged ages and longevity. In fact, the fairy crane often appeared often referred to in traditional Chinese poems and drawings refer to the red-crowned crane.
What is the National Bird of China?
- COMMON NAME: Red-crowned crane
- SCIENTIFIC NAME: Grus japonensis
- TYPE: Birds
- DIET: Omnivore
- GROUP NAME: Flock
- AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 30 years
- AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN CAPTIVITY: 50 years
- SIZE: Five feet
- WEIGHT: 18 to 21 pounds
Description
The National Bird of China red-crowned crane has snow-white primary feathers with a black face and neck. White feathers extend from behind the eyes to the nape, and a red patch tops the crane’s head, giving it its name. By and large, their wings are black and the remaining part of the body is totally snow white. Its male species are black on the cheeks, throat, and neck. Its female species are shining gray in these spots. The beak or bill is olive green to greenish horn in looking. China National Bird has slaty to grayish-black legs and the iris is dark brown. Juveniles have a combination of white, partly tawny, cinnamon brown, and/or gray plumage. At two years of age, the bird’s primary feathers are replaced with all white feathers.
Size
Chinese national bird Red-crowned cranes are often long and tall—some of the world’s largest cranes. The fully-grown adult stands at five feet, with a wingspan that grows to eight feet. Males are slightly larger than females. It stands 158 centimeters (5 feet) tall, has a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters (8 feet), and weighs from 7 to 15 kilograms, (15 to 26 pounds).
Diet
Insects, aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, small mammals, reeds, grasses, heath berries, corn, and waste grain. In Hokkaido, Japan, Red-crowned Cranes feed on human-provided corn, cereal grains, and fish.
Range
China National Bird Red-crowned Cranes breed in large wetlands in temperate East Asia. In the winter, the mainland population divides into two or three wintering subpopulations, wintering along rivers and in coastal and freshwater marshes in Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula.
Lifespan
Lifespan in the wild is not well documented, but in human care, the median age for both sexes of red-crowned cranes is 15.1 years.
Facts About Red-Crowned Crane
- The red-crowned crane is the most popular and native bird of china country.
- China inhabits mainly the Nenjiang River, Song Huajiang River, and Wusu Lijiang River in the northeast part of China.
- Red crown has two main species less and rarely populated in the world. One of the two groups lives in Japan and stays throughout the year.
- Among all species, only 2,000 are left in the wild, and they are considered endangered due to habitat loss.
- It is featured on Korean five hundred coin
- This species became the fashion at the beginning of the 20th century for their domestic purpose.
✅What are the 3 National Animals of China?
China is a country located in the southeast of the Asian continent with a rich sense of culture and heritage. It boasts of three national animals: the giant panda, the Chinese dragon, and the red-crowned crane.
✅Which Animal is only Found in China?
Giant pandas, Tibetan macaques, Chinese giant salamanders, golden snub-nosed monkeys, and Chinese sturgeons. The red panda, Siberian tiger, and Chinese sturgeon are in other countries too, but the Chinese zoos, safari parks, and breeding centers are good places to see them.
References:
- https://readnational.com/national-bird-of-china-red-crowned/
- https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/national-symbols.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_symbols_of_China
