Newswise — Bronx, NY, August 8, 2024 – A red-crowned crane chick, one of the largest and most threatened crane species in the world, is debuting at the Bronx Zoo.
The chick hatched on June 8th and can be found with its parents at the zoo’s Northern Ponds. The zoo now has three red-crowned cranes, also known as the Japanese crane or Manchurian crane.
The Bronx Zoo is breeding these birds as part of an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) SSP (Species Survival Plan). This collaborative effort helps ensure a genetically diverse and healthy population of red-crowned cranes.
Red-crowned cranes as adults weigh on average 15-22 pounds but can be heavier during the winter months. They are one of the largest crane species in the world and have a wingspan of up to 8 feet and a height of 5 feet. As adults, this species has snowy white body plumage with a black face and neck. Its common name comes from a red patch of bare skin on top of the crane's head. Both males and females look alike in color and males are typically slightly larger.
There are approximately 100 red-crowned cranes in AZA facilities, with a third of those birds at AZA facilities in Asia. The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the bird as Vulnerable with an estimated wild population of fewer than 2,500. Their decreasing population is due to several factors including residential and commercial development, pollution, human intrusion, hunting and trapping, and agriculture.
Red-crowned cranes can be found in northern Japan, northeast China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia, and are known to winter in Korea and eastern China. Throughout its native range in Asia, this species is revered as they symbolize good fortune, longevity, peace, and fidelity as crane pairs are considered to be monogamous.
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The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo, located on 265 acres of hardwood forest in Bronx, NY, opened on Nov. 8, 1899. It is world-renowned for its leadership in the areas of animal welfare, husbandry, veterinary care, education, science and conservation. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is the flagship park of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) which manages the world’s largest network of urban wildlife parks including the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and New York Aquarium. Our curators and animal care staff work to save, propagate, and sustain populations of threatened and endangered species. We have educated and inspired more than 400 million visitors at our zoos and aquarium since our opening and host approximately 4 million guests at our parks each year – including about a half-million students annually. The Bronx Zoo is the largest youth employer in the borough of the Bronx, providing opportunity and helping to transform lives in one of the most under-served communities in the nation. The Bronx Zoo is the subject of THE ZOO, a docu-series aired world-wide on Animal Planet. Members of the media should contact [email protected] (+1 (347) 840-1242) for more information or with questions.
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