Crested Ibis

Nipponia nippon

Status: Endangered. The feathers of the crested ibis were sought after for use in feather dusters, decor, and ornamentation of hats. They were hunted for their meat, which was thought to have medicinal qualities. The bird was brought to the brink of extinction, as industrialization drained much of the swamps and shoreland. They were wiped out entirely in Japan by 2003. While they were still present in China, conservation and efforts at protection were begun to try to save this species with so much historical cultural significance. Captive breeding programs were instated to bolster the dwindling populations. In 2015, a Japanese restoration program began to release them back into the wild in Japan.

Most of the reintroduced birds now live on Sado Island, and a local culture of human harmony with the ibises, and thus with the whole ecosystem, has arisen. Eco-friendly rice farming practices interweave with creating suitable habitat of rice fields, ponds, mountains, woods, and meadows where the crested ibis can thrive. As an umbrella species that exists as one of the top predators in the food chain, their presence improves the welfare of all the other interlinked species in the region. The birds have become living symbols and ambassadors of "satoyama", which is the combination of abundant nature with harmonious rural livelihood. Satoyama embraces biodiversity. It is an idealized vision of flora and fauna and wilderness co-existing with a human environment in pastoral nostalgia.

The crested ibis has been found in ancient texts (The Nihon Shoki, "Chronicles of Japan", which is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history and mythological origins) and imperial tombs in Japan. It is called "toki" and the name in kanji means "peach flower bird", for the pale pink blush of the feathers, and in China it is known as a bird of good fortune.

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