In the winter, there are visitors from the north. They are the red crowned cranes. I have been observing these birds for three months in the DMZ and they are stunning. There is grace in their movement with each step taken with great pride and prudence. Their body shapes are long and slender with elegant arrangement of feathers.
The cranes have an ancient history in the earth. They have appeared in the dinosaur age and have managed to survive since now. Now, they are cultural symbols in many cultures including Korea. DMZ is an important place for these birds because it provides hibernation. For those that venture to Japan, it is a station where they could gather strength during their long arduous journey. They quench their thirst from the clean water from streams flowing from mountains deep inside the DMZ. There are acorns and insects in the pristine forests and the wetlands are teeming with snails and reptiles. The rice paddies are abundant with grains. Another interesting fact: the red-crowned cranes are the second largest birds in the world.
The red-crowned cranes are very like humans. They have a strong sense of group identity. Last year, the cranes delayed their departure to Siberia because one of their members was injured. All of them stayed until the injured crane fully recovered. The cranes are also known to be devoted to and to mate with only one partner. A long time ago, a crane cried beside her dead husband's body for days and had to be rescued by people to save her from dehydration.
3 weeks ago, we observed 47 cranes on a rice field with one baby crane. It was the first time for me to spot more than 20 cranes all together. They were very cautious. When we stopped the car and opened our doors, the birds that were constantly pecking the grounds all stood up. The cranes that were coming changed their direction when they found our car parked in the roads. We had to hide inside the car and whisper to each other as if we were in the national geographic channel.
We collected the feces of the cranes. Most of the feces consisted of digested rice straws. Surprisingly, they didn't smell bad because they were all dry. Last week the weather was very foggy. It was an interesting experience because we had to depend on other senses such as smell and the sound. We could in a distance hear the cries that 2000 white fronted goose were making. After we finished counting the number of grains left over in the fields, we noticed there was a crane in the same field as we were. I really appreciate the experience I have in the DMZ because I get the chance to watch these amazing birds.
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28 Comments
Thank you for sharing.
Posted 27-08-2013 19:26
Nice share.
Posted 16-06-2013 19:58
nice report thank you very much for sharing..
Posted 04-04-2013 23:36
Nice one..thx for sharing
Posted 04-04-2013 23:01
Very Nice
Posted 30-03-2013 20:00
nice.
Posted 30-03-2013 01:47
What a beautiful creature it is! It is also virtuous... thanks for sharing :)
Posted 29-03-2013 17:17
Thanks for sharing!
Posted 29-03-2013 13:36
I was searching photo of Cranes . Thanks for the report.
Posted 29-03-2013 11:55
thanks for sharing......
Posted 29-03-2013 09:59
Nice Report
Posted 29-03-2013 09:46
thanks for sharing .....
Posted 29-03-2013 09:24
thanks for sharing ..................
Posted 29-03-2013 09:18
thank you kim for sharing.
Posted 29-03-2013 09:00
nice report!!!..
Posted 29-03-2013 05:35
Nice Report
Posted 29-03-2013 04:49
Very nice!
Posted 29-03-2013 04:10
I wish it is my pet
Posted 29-03-2013 02:40
this birds are rare in my country
Posted 29-03-2013 02:39
informative
Posted 29-03-2013 02:38
nice and is informative.
Posted 29-03-2013 01:39
nice article keep it up.
Posted 29-03-2013 01:10
very nice
Posted 29-03-2013 00:31
keep going
Posted 28-03-2013 22:05
informative
Posted 28-03-2013 22:04
2 article one day.very nice
Posted 28-03-2013 22:03
thanks for sharing :)
Posted 28-03-2013 17:45
The first picuture is a picture of a racoon and deer dung. Wild animals also have their own restrooms :)) The second picutre is a picture of the feathers of the white-naped cranes.
Posted 28-03-2013 13:02