I had to find out what the deal with this bird is : several nights now I have seen reports about it on the Japanese TV channel NHK. One evening there was a news clip showing a nest with a new chick in it. The researchers watching through a camera with a telephoto lens were beside themselves. Well, it is a toki or a Japanese crested ibis. The birds hover on the brink of extinction. They used to be found in pine forests and wetlands all over Japan, China and also in South Korea. A small population does remain in Shaanxi Province in China – but in Japan there are only 5 breeding pairs, on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. They are all fitted with GPS devices, designated as National Natural Treasures. I see some websites show its scientific name as Rhacophorus schlegelii – but Wikipedia says it is Nipponia nippon. It does not get any more Japanese than that !
