synonymIbis(Alternative name of crested ibis) generally refers to crested ibis (crested ibis of ibis family)
Crested Ibis (scientific name:Nipponia nippon）, also known asIbisorJapanese crested ibis，It is a precious bird, known as "Oriental Gem" and "Auspicious Bird".[1][2-3]adultThe male crested ibis weighs about 1700 to 1885 grams, while the female is lighter, about 1465 grams.Their feathers are mainly white, their mouths are black and curved, their faces and mouth bases are red, their wings and tails are pink, and their feet are short and red.The baby bird has orange cheeks, light brown feet, and smoke gray feathers.[4]
Crested ibis likes to live in temperate mountains, forests and hilly areas, and usually nest in trees.They feed near water or in paddy fields during the day, and their main food includesinvertebrateAnd small vertebrates.This bird was once widely distributed in China, the Russian Far East, Korea and Japan, but its number has been greatly reduced and is close to extinction.[4]In 1981, China had the onlywildCrested Ibis population.[5]ChineseCrested ibis do not migrate, while Crested ibis in other regions have migrated.[4]The image of crested ibis has also been used in Chinese stamps, commemorative coins, and evenThe 14th National GamesThe mascot of.[6]
Crested Ibis《IUCN Red List of Endangered Species》（IUCN）Is listed as an endangered species in China《Catalog of Wildlife under Key State Protection》It is listed as Grade I protected animal in.[7-8]It has a positive impact on nature reserves and local economy.[9]China has presented crested ibis to Japan and other countries to promote cooperation and expand the population.[9][10]Crested ibis is at the top of the food chain, helping to control the number of prey.[9][11]
Slow action;Omnivorous food;In the daytime, they live near the water, in paddy fields and other places, and at night they live on trees;Migratory behavior of birds in some areas[4]
Features
White feather, black and curved mouth, red face and mouth base, pink wings and tail, short and red feet[4]
Byoil shaleArchaeological research on the Chinese ibis fossils found that the appearance of ibis birds on the earth can be traced back to about 60 million years agoEoceneperiod。[42]In the 19th century, scholars began to study the crested ibis.In 1835, Temminck scholars studied and named the crested ibis specimens from Japan.[12]
morphological character
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Adult form
Adult Crested Ibis[13]
Crested ibis is of medium sizewading birdIt is 67-79 cm long.The exposed skin of the adult face is red, and the head, crest and body feathers are mainly white.The wings and tail are pink, and the mouth is slender and bent downward, which is black.The feet are short, red, and the lower part of the shin is exposed.The iris is orange red, the exposed part of the mouth base and head is vermilion, and the exposed part of the tarsometatarsus, claws and lower part of the shin is vermilion.[4]
In the non breeding period, the body feathers of adult birds are mainly white, and the head, crest, back, wings and tail are pink.There are pink patches under the wings and tail, which are more obvious when flying.The outermost flight feathers are nearly dark brown, and only the inner and outer edges and feather trunks at the base are white.The second inner flight feather is also dark brown along the central part of the feather trunk and the feather tip, the third one is only covered with some dark brown at the tip, and the rest of the flight feather is white.The feathers on the back and pillow of the head are long and spear shaped, forming a loose crest.[4]
During the breeding period, the head, upper back and neck of adult birds are gray, the wings are pink, and the first to fifth primary flight feathers have grayish brown end spots.[4]
Larval morphology
Crested Ibis Juvenile[14]
The young crested ibis has orange cheeks, feathers, and the rest of its face is bare.The body feather is smoke gray with rose luster.The primary flight feathers are dark brown, the feet are light brown, and the iris is light yellowish brown.[4]
Size measurement
Size measurement
male
female
weight
1700-1885g
1465 g
Body length
783-790mm
679 mm
Rostral peak
182~183mm
137-150mm
wing
380~450 mm
375-380mm
tail
180~188 mm
161~165 mm
Tarsal metatarsal
85-90mm
75~77mm
reference material[4]
Habitat environment
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Crested ibis inhabits temperate regions, preferring plains and middle and low mountains with an altitude of 400 to 1200 meters。[4][12]They usually move and feed near paddy fields, rivers, wetlands and streams, and nest in trees.[4]The habitat soil types of crested ibis are diverse, includingpaddy soil、Fluvo aquic soil、Silt soil、Yellow brown soilandbrown earthYellow brown soil is the most widely distributed。[12]
Crested ibis, as a kind of precious bird, once spread all over China, the Russian Far East, Korea, Japan and other regions.In China, they have a wide range of habitats, from the Wusuli River basin in the northeast to Hainan Island in the south。[4]However, due to habitat destruction, excessive hunting and other reasons, the number of crested ibis has decreased sharply since the middle of the 20th century.[7]In Japan, the number of crested ibis decreased from about 100 in 1934 to only 6 in 1960, and finally became extinct in the wild.[43-44]In Korea, crested ibis used to be a winter migratory bird, but the number of observed birds is also decreasing.[43]In the late 20th century, the world's only wild crested ibis population was found in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, China.[45-46]Since then, the Chinese government has taken protective measures, and the number of crested ibis has begun to recover.China also presented crested ibis to Japan and South Korea to help them recover their populations.[15][44]
By 2021, the number of crested ibis in the world will increase to more than 7000, of which more than 5000Shaanxi。The habitat in Shaanxi is more than 3000 square kilometers, covering HanzhongBaoji、AnkangMore than ten counties (districts) in three cities cover 15000 square kilometers.[50]
Characteristics of behavioral ecology
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Flight and Call
Flying Crested Ibis[49]
Crested ibis is slow in movement, with low frequency of wing flapping during flight, head and neck straight forward, feet extended backward but not beyond tail feathers.They are quiet and seldom make other sounds except for singing when taking off.[4]
Crested ibis is an omnivorous bird, mainly feeding on invertebrates and small vertebrates, including small fish, loach, frogs, crabs, shrimps, snails, crickets, earthworms, beetles, hemiptera insects, crustaceans, other insects and their larvae.In addition, they also feed on a small amount of plant seeds and young leaves。[4][17]Crested ibis usually hunt for food in the daytime, in shallow water areas near the water, rice fields, mud fields and on the ground.When looking for food on the ground, they will walk slowly, search the ground carefully, and quickly peck with their beaks after finding food.Long and curvedbeakDetect food.[4]
Alert and defense behavior
Crested ibis colony inhabits trees[19]
When encountering interference from humans, natural enemies or other species, crested ibis will show different warning behaviors, mainly including: increasing vigilance, which is manifested by stretching the neck, watching, erecting the crown and feather, and making warning sounds;Flying back and forth or circling near the warning position;Fly to nearby foraging places or trees to rest;Fly to a far place or stay in a far tree.[18]Crested ibis usually live alone, in pairs or in small groups, and rarely mix with other birds.[4]Adults and sub adults in non breeding period gather to form a group, and choose a place with dense vegetation for collective overnight stay to avoid the attack of natural enemies at night.[18]They are very sensitive to human interference and usually stay overnight in clusters during non breeding seasons.[17]
migration pattern
Historically, the breeding grounds of crested ibis were in eastern Russia, Korea, northern Japan and northern China. In autumn, most of the population will migrate to southern Japan, south of the Yellow River in China to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, Fujian, Taiwan and Hainan IslandoverwinteringSome of them stayed in North Korea for the winter.The population of China and southern Japan isresident bird, usually without migration.By 2001, the population of crested ibis in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, China had stopped migrating, but would spread to nearby areas after the breeding period。[4]
Growth and reproduction
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growth characteristics
Birth stage
Newly born crested ibis chick[21]
When the crested ibis chicks were born, their bodies were covered with light gray down feathers, their necks had elongated and drooping willow leaf shaped feathers, and their beaks were black and bent downward.After 40 to 50 days, the whole body is covered with feathers.Two months later, the tip of the young bird's beak began to turn red, and its legs changed from black to yellow red.[20]
four months old
A few month old crested ibis chick[22]
At the age of 4 months, gray feathers gradually fell off and were replaced by white and orange feathers.The tail feathers turn white first, followed by the back and neck.The feathers on the neck and back turn orange pink from inside out, and the edges are light gray.The gray of the young bird's crown feather gradually decreases, and the orange red on the face deepens.[20]
six months old
At the age of 6 months, the size and appearance of young birds are close to that of adult birds.The primary flight feathers, feathers on the back, chest and lower neck, and tail feathers become light orange, but the color of the feather surface is light, mixed with light gray, and the interior of the feather is dark orange without mottle.The red color of the lower shank, tarsometatarsus and claw of the young bird is deeper and more obvious, and the tip of the mouth and the base of the lower mouthIs red,Rostral conchaIt is yellow, the nasal groove is red, the iris is orange, and the eyelid is golden.[20]
Sexual maturity
The age of sexual maturity of crested ibis is about 3 years old, and its life span can reach more than 17 years under artificial breeding conditions.[4]
Crested ibis usually starts to occupy territory, repair old nests and mate from the end of January to the beginning of February.In February, the color of the crested ibis head and back turned to lead gray, and the male bird was darker, and began courtship.At first, the male bird bowed his head and sang in front of the female bird from time to time, or held a branch to show off.By the end of February, male and female birds will touch each other's beaks, comb feathers, etc., and the pairing is basically established.[23]
reproduction
Adult crested ibis begins to form breeding feathers in January every year, and its breeding period is generally from February to June every year.The adult crested ibis participating in breeding slowly moved to the breeding site as early as November, and cooperated in nesting and spawning between the middle of February and the end of March of the next year.Crested ibis often nest in pairs in mountains and forests. The nest is located on the branches of chestnut, poplar, pine and other trees 5 to 20 meters high from the ground, with a diameter of 50 to 70 cm. It is composed of dead branches and is covered with soft grass leaves, grass stems and moss.[4][17]
Oviposition period
Crested Ibis Eggs[24]
The laying period of the crested ibis is from March to April. It usually lays a litter of 2 to 5 eggs per litter every year, which is blue gray with brown spots, 63 to 68 mm x 44 to 46 mm in size and 65 to 75 grams in weight.Hatching starts in April, male and femaleParent birdThe incubation period is 28 to 30 days (25 days under artificial conditions).During the breeding period, when the crested ibis parent bird leaves the nest, it will cover the eggs with cushion materials.[4][17]
Nestling rearing and independence
The chicks are fed by both male and female parent birds. At birth, the upper body is covered with light gray feathers, the lower body is covered with white feathers, and the feet are orange red.After 45 to 50 days, the chicks have the ability to fly and leave the nest, about June.After leaving the nest, the chicks continued to move and feed near the nest area, and left the nest after about July.[4]
The face is red.The head, crest and whole body feathers are white, and the wings and tail are pink.The mouth is black and slender and bent downward.The short leg is red, and the lower part of the shin is bare.The iris is orange red, the base of the mouth and the exposed part of the head are vermilion, and the exposed part of the tarsometatarsus, claws and lower part of the shin are also vermilion[4]
The mouth is slender and bent downward.The feather body is white, and the head and upper part of the neck are exposed to black, sometimes blue;The lower part of the back and front neck has extended gray feathers, and orange red spots are exposed under the wings, extending along the edge of the wings to the lower sides.The iris is red or reddish brown, the mouth is black, and the feet are short and black[29]
Due to deforestation and other reasons, crested ibis has disappeared in eastern Russia, Japan, Korea and most parts of China.[4]In the 1990s, the breeding grounds of crested ibis increased from 3 to 8, the living altitude decreased to 700 meters, and the number of surviving ibis was 20 to 40.[31]After the discovery of crested ibis in Qinling Mountains, China took measures to strengthen protection.By the end of 2000, the wild crested ibis had built 119 nests, laid 360 eggs, hatched 268, and had a population of about 100. The Shaanxi crested ibis rescue and breeding center had been established, covering an area of about 2 hectares.[32]
In 2001, crested ibis was only distributed in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, with less than 50 pairs of population.[4]By 2010, China had established five captive populations of crested ibis, with a total number of about 600.In 2014, a pair of breeding pairs and 4 chicks were found in Fengliu Village, Shaanxi Province, and their activities were extended to the eastern part of the Qinling Mountains.[7]By November 2023, the population of crested ibis in the world will reach 11000.[33]
Endangered causes
The main reasons for the endangered crested ibis include the utilization of biological resources, pollution and natural system transformation.From the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, its number decreased rapidly, mainly due to the deforestation of nesting forest land, excessive hunting, wetland loss, the use of rice field pesticides and the drying up of rice fields in winter.With the population growth and the expansion of activity scope, it becomes difficult to control the use of pesticides. Occasionally, there are still hunting events. Dry weather and the reduction of rice planting area also have a negative impact on its breeding.[7]
protective measures
In 1986, Beijing Zoo launched the captive breeding program and captured six crested ibis chicks from the wild.In 1990, China's Shaanxi Crested Ibis Nature Reserve was established.In Shaanxi, ChinaYangxian CountyIn breeding season, crested ibis have patrols and guards near their nests.In winter, some rice fields are reserved as the feeding places for crested ibis, and loach is introduced into them.In Niigata, JapanSado IslandCarry out reintroduction plan and other related activities, and other institutions are also carrying out captive breeding work, including Tokyo Tama Zoo。[7]
July 2019, Shaanxi Province, ChinaHanzhong City, KoreaQingshang South RoadChangning CountyAnd JapanNiigata PrefectureSado The local government and the China Japan South Korea Cooperation Secretariat decided to actively promote cooperation in crested ibis。[34]In 2022, the Fourteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Wetlands announced the Ten Best Cases of Waterbird Conservation in China at the Global Migratory Zone Waterbird Habitat Protection Forum, and crested ibis was selected among them.[35]
Key values
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economic value
Since 1999, Yangxian Crested Ibis Nature Reserve in Shaanxi has been listed as an eco-tourism destination.The cultural and aesthetic value of crested ibis has brought significant benefits to the Reserve and the local economy, as well as goods based on the image of crested ibis, such as pictures, toys, books, handicrafts, etc.[36]
ecological value
Crested Ibisfood chainThe top predator in the middle can control small fish, loach, shrimp, frog, cricket, locust, snails and other prey populations.However, crested ibis is vulnerable to environmental and human factors, so its population is relatively scarce。[11]
Ornamental value
Crested ibis is very ornamental because of its elegant posture and unique vermilion feathers.When flying, the wings of the crested ibis slowly flap behind the head and feet;Walking with light feet;When resting, the feather crown on the head flutters with the wind.[36]
Studying the endangered causes and protection measures of crested ibis can provide valuable experience for the protection of other endangered species.[11]
social value
As the envoy of friendship between China and Japan, the crested ibis will continue to improve the genetic diversity of the Japanese crested ibis population through gifts and cooperation between countries, and also enhance the feelings between the two countries.[15][36][37]
Crested Ibis "Youyou" (left) and "Yangyang" (right)[38]
Related culture
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stamp
In 1960, Japan issued a stamp "Crested Ibis" with a face value of 10 yen to commemorate the 12th (session) International Bird Conservation Conference held in Tokyo, Japan. Crested Ibis was also designated as "International Protected Bird" at the conference.[39]
Crested Ibis stamps issued by Japan in 1960[39]
On May 15, 1984, China Post issued a set of three Crested Ibis stamps named "Xiang" (8 cents), "Wu" (8 cents), and "Qi" (80 cents).[40]
Crested Ibis stamps issued by China Post in 19984[40]
Among a set of special stamps entitled "National Key Protected Wildlife (Class I)" issued by the State Postal Administration of China on February 25, 2000, the first stamp has the design of crested ibis.[41]
In 2000, China Post issued the stamps of National Key Protected Wildlife (Class I)[41]
On August 8, 2006, China issued the stamped envelope of Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve, with the main picture of two Crested Ibis.[24]
Postage envelope of Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve issued by China in 2006[24]
commemorative coin
The People's Bank of China issued special commemorative coins for rare animals with the image of crested ibis in June 1997.[24]
Commemorative coins with crested ibis image issued in 1997[24]
mascot
The 14th National GamesOne of the mascots of "Zhu Zhu" was created based on the "crested ibis", named "Zhu Zhu".He held the torch in his hand and flew away.[24]
Mascot of the 14th National Games[24]
ballet
The romantic dance drama Crested Ibis, created by Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe, was staged in 2014. Through the body language of the dancers, the Crested Ibis shows its three postures of "wading", "resting" and "flying". In addition to the stage scenery and music, it is known as the "Oriental Swan Lake".[24]
