Sado Wildlife in Focus | Crested Ibis Feeding Frenzy Marks the Start of Winter
Photojournalist Fumie Oyama captures the voracious appetite of the crested ibis, a Special Natural Monument of Japan, as it prepares for the approach of winter.
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As winter approaches, the cold deepens on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. Despite the chill, the island experiences little snowfall due to the strong winds from the Sea of Japan. Through my camera lens, I observed the Japanese crested ibis displaying its voracious appetite as it adapted to the harsh winter. Having previously written about herons and black kites for this column, I now continue to focus on the crested ibis, a subject that has become a lifelong passion.
Struggling to Swallow?
After the rice harvest, Sado Island's muddy fields become a treasure trove of food for the crested ibis. These birds often probe the mud with their beaks, swallowing their finds. During one photography session, I saw an ibis vigorously shaking its neck, trying to swallow or regurgitate something.
According to Japan's environment ministry, a crested ibis requires about 230 kcal of energy daily, roughly equivalent to around 50 loaches.
With an estimated 530 crested ibises inhabiting Sado Island, they would consume about 26,500 loaches per day if their diet consisted solely of them. In reality, their diet is more varied. It includes frogs, freshwater crabs, earthworms, grasshoppers, and other insects. This variety highlights the importance of a rich natural environment teeming with small wildlife for their survival.
Crested Ibises Return to China
On October 31, 16 crested ibises raised at the Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center were transported from Haneda Airport to China.
Japan's crested ibis population was declared extinct in 2003. However, through artificial breeding using birds gifted by China, their numbers have steadily recovered, and efforts continue to reintroduce them into the wild.
Under an agreement with the Chinese government, Japan returns half of the offspring of the crested ibises originally provided by China. The recent transfer included seven males and nine females born between 2016 and 2022.
This marked the first such transfer in eight years, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While China's panda diplomacy is widely recognized as a tool of soft power, the crested ibis also serves as a "flying ambassador" in strengthening Japan-China relations. However, these birds will not be released into the wild but housed at Beijing Zoo.
Read more Sado Wildlife in Focus photo essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama.
Fumie Oyama is a two-time winner of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Award as a photographer for The Sankei Shimbun. After covering the reintroduction of the crested ibis to the wild for 11 years, Oyama left the company in 2020 to move to Sado Island. There, he continues to photograph the ibis and other wildlife while engaging in farming. He currently promotes the charms of Sado Island as a photojournalist. Follow Fumie Oyama on Instagram.
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Author: Fumie Oyama, Photojournalist
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