First Discovery of White-naped Crane Couple Spending Summer in Korea: Yoon Soon-young’s Nature Observation Diary

A pair of white-naped cranes that should have left Korea a long time ago were spotted on the plains of Cheorwon. white-crowned crane The case when a dog spent the summer in Koreawas once over 10 years ago, but this is the first time the two have been observed remaining together. The white-naped crane, a class 2 endangered wildlife, is a wintering bird that visits Cheorwon, Yeoncheon, Paju, and the Han River estuary in mid-October to overwinter, then moves north to its breeding grounds, such as the Amur River basin in Russia, at the end of March of the following year. However, on the 1st, a report was received that two white-naped cranes had not yet returned to their breeding grounds.

Jeon Chun-gi, the head of the Cheorwon-gun branch of the Korea Wildlife Conservation Association, points to the rice field where the white-naped crane is coming.

A view of the farmland where the white-crowned crane couple is spending the summer.

Jeon Choon-gi, the head of the Korea Wildlife Conservation Association, Cheorwon-gun, has been paying close attention to whether the white-naped cranes will return soon, but three months later, they remain and have been contacted. When we arrived at Cheorwon at 6 am on the 2nd, rice planting had already been completed in the plains of Cheorwon. Headed to the rice fields frequented by the branch manager Jeon Choon-gi and the white-crowned crane. At first, we didn’t see any white-naped cranes, but after about an hour, two white-naped cranes flew up from the direction of Togyo Reservoir and landed on the rice field in front of us.

A couple of white-crowned cranes landing on farmland.

A white-naped crane observed in Gusan-dong, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do in June 2010. This is the first case in Korea where a white-naped crane was discovered.

My heart fluttered. The white-naped crane is a bird that can only be seen in winter. It has been 13 years since I observed a white-naped crane in the summer on June 17, 2010, in a farmland in Gusan-dong, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. After the excitement passed, I wondered why the white-naped crane hadn’t left for the breeding ground. Leaving a non-interference distance, I approached the white-naped crane. A look that doesn’t care about people. Judging from long observation experience, the two white-naped cranes appeared to be a ‘couple’. A white-crowned crane mates with one and lives her life as her companion.

A couple of white-naped cranes that look normal at first glance.

I observed the couple of white-naped cranes all day and checked their condition. As a result of close inspection for three days, it was found that the right wing of the female White-naped Crane was severely damaged. The first, second, and third wing feathers were damaged and the flagpole was exposed. In this condition, short-distance flights are possible, but a long journey of 2,000 km to the breeding ground would have been impossible. Fortunately, looking at the movement of the wings, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with the bones.

The right first, second and third wing feathers of the female White-naped Crane were severely damaged.

Normal wing feathers of a male White-naped crane (left) compared with abnormal wing feathers of a female White-naped crane (right).

June is the time when white-naped cranes that have left their breeding grounds are already breeding. I wondered if they would remain in Korea and breed, but I couldn’t find any traces of breeding. The birds seemed determined to stay until they were fully healed. The white-naped crane couple, who did not leave Cheorwon, seem to have set up two or so places to eat and rest along the set route. They choose a place according to the local situation and do not deviate too far from the set radius.

White-naped cranes standing on the rice paddy bank, a resting place.

A couple of white-crowned cranes grooming their feathers.

While taking a break, do not neglect your vigilance. There was an unfortunate accident that injured the feathers, so it is more vigilant.

When an animal is injured, it naturally becomes a loner in the pack. The white-crowned crane also lives with one mate for the rest of her life, but when she loses her mate, she may ‘remarry’. However, the male white-naped crane that remained in the plains of Cheorwon did not leave the side of the injured female and guarded it. The female White-naped Crane was exceptionally often grooming and flapping its wings. It seems to be an action to heal wounds. The male White-naped crane did not take his eyes off the female White-naped crane, eating food and resting together. The appearance of the male who knew the female’s situation and took good care of the young looked similar to taking care of the offspring, but I felt the deep affection of the extreme sincerity more than that.

A couple of white-naped cranes eating food together.

The couple of white-naped cranes are united in one mind.

A couple of white-naped cranes avoid their seats as a farmer’s vehicle approaches.

Wild geese, once paired, stay together for the rest of their lives, and even if one of the couple dies, they live alone without remarrying. Occasionally, families and couples who did not return to the breeding grounds due to injuries to geese have been witnessed, but this is the first case in Korea where a couple of white-naped cranes remain like this.

It’s open all around, so it’s easy to keep an eye on your natural enemies.

Cranes, white-naped cranes, and hooded cranes share feeding grounds and beds to block threats from predators. If there is an injured individual among his colleagues, he will come to the side to look after it and give him strength. Still, when there is force majeure, you can see behaviors of lamenting that you couldn’t save it.

A female White-naped crane stretching to her heart’s content. The damaged right wing feather is clearly visible.

The female fluttered her wings exceptionally frequently, which seems to be an action to heal her injured wings.

You will desperately want to fly normally. The left and right wing feathers are compared.

Looking at the white-naped couple brought back old memories. In January 2012, when a white-crowned crane died from poisoning, a mother who was poisoned with the same poison did not leave the side of the dead chick and was rescued. She was given first aid by urgently administering antidotes and nutrients, but her condition worsened and she eventually lost her life. Her white-crowned crane’s family love is so unusual, but I didn’t know that her conjugal love would be so true to her.

A male white-crowned crane spreads his wings freely. The female may envy the male’s normal wings. However, the male’s utmost sincerity will be of great help in healing the wings.

According to crane experts at the US Geological Survey, cranes use more than 60 sounds and body language. Other birds are known to speak 20 or so languages, and monkeys to speak 30 or so. The researchers, who observed 15 species of cranes for 30 years, evaluated the crane as “having the most complex behavior among vertebrates other than humans.” While living in a community, cranes show independent behavior, enjoy private life and private work, and have an independent disposition.

Female white-naped cranes instinctively move their feathers for natural healing as soon as they have time to see if they are concerned about their feathers.

When the female and the distance is formed, the male hurriedly approaches the female.

This is the first time I have ever seen a white-naped crane’s extreme love. It comes across as thrilling.

Why was the white-naped crane injured that could not return to its hometown? Guessing from her wing wounds, it seemed more likely that it was an attack by her natural enemy, the leopard, than an accident caused by her power lines. This is because wildcats have been observed approaching cranes every year, and cranes that are attacked and killed often occur. The white-naped crane has a habit of always looking for the same spot. It is speculated that this white-naped crane couple also overwintered in the farmland from last winter. The female’s wounds are expected to heal in late October, when other white-crowned cranes return to Cheorwon for the winter. The white-naped couple will probably spend the summer here waiting for a full recovery. This is a proven safe place for them, and the Togyo Reservoir, where they sleep, is also nearby.

The peaceful farmland is the world of the white-crowned crane couple.

We look forward to the white-naped crane couple having a safe summer in a pleasant and stable farmland.

It is fortunate that female white-naped cranes are capable of short-distance flights. I think we need to continuously observe their summer days. The true circumstances are discovered in the behavior of the white-naped crane, which does not abandon its injured mate until the end. Written and photographed by Yoon Soon-young, Chairman of the Korea Wildlife Conservation Association, Hankyoreh environmental ecology webzine ‘Mulbaram Forest’, writers, cinematography directors Lee Kyung-hee, Kim Eung-seong