English Name
Scientific Name
Body Length
RDB Category
: Japanese Crested Ibis
: Nipponia Nippon
: About 76 cm
: EW (Extinct in the Wild)

Japanese Crested Ibis


    Japanese Crested Ibis usually eats small animals, such as small fishes and frogs, in paddy field and other wetland. It nests over large trees on a hill nearby.
    Although it was very common in Japan, Korea, China, and Ussuri region before, its population rapidly decreased due to overhunting and development during Meiji era (late nineteen century) in Japan. Finally, only five ibises survived at Sado Island and Noto peninsula in early twenty century.
    Therefore, the Environment Agency (Ministry of the Environment at present) captured these survived ibises at Sado Island for captured breeding in the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center in Jan. 1981. Each five ibises were named for colors. This specimen is "Kiiro (which means yellow in Japanese)", which died by parasitosis and pneumonia in Jun. 17, 1981.
    Last female named "Kin (which means gold in Japanese)", however, died in 2003, and captured breeding of native ibises has failed. Ministry of the Environment continues the effort of breeding ibises from China, which are classified as same species, to release them into the wild.