FOCUS: Crested Ibis Release in Noto Marks Milestone on Honshu

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Crested ibises, a species designated as a special national natural treasure in Japan, took to the skies over the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, in May, marking the first release of the birds on Honshu, the country’s main island. The move represents a significant step in efforts to reintroduce the crested ibis to the wild after the species once became extinct in Japan. The environment ministry has revised its road map for the program and plans to fully launch initiatives aimed at establishing the birds on Honshu and expanding their habitat. Once Found across Japan The crested ibis inhabited regions throughout Japan until the Edo period (1603-1868) and is said to have been highly valued as a resource, including for use in arrow feathers. Its population, however, plummeted during the Meiji era (1868-1912) due to overhunting and environmental destruction. In 2003, a female named Kin, who had been taken into protective care from the wild, died, marking the extinction of Japan’s native crested ibis population. Meanwhile, wild crested ibises were rediscovered in China in 1981. After they were confirmed to be the same species as Japan’s crested ibis, a pair was presented to Japan in 1999 as a “symbol of friendship.” Artificial breeding of the pair began at a conservation center on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan. Sado had been the bird’s last habitat in the country, and the project aimed to reintroduce the species into the wild. The release of crested ibises began on Sado in 2008. By the end of 2025, a total of 530 birds had been released, and about 470 are believed to be living in the wild. Reintroducing species that have become extinct in the wild can help increase populations and restore ecosystems. Still, such efforts may also carry risks, including the spread of infectious diseases and competition with other organisms for feeding grounds. Although Sado Island as a whole is thought to have the capacity to support more than 1,000 crested ibises, there are concerns that rising population density in certain forests could lower survival rates and worsen crop damage, such as rice plants being trampled. For this reason, releases will also be carried out in areas of Honshu where crested ibises are believed to have lived in the past and where environmental conditions are considered suitable. To expand the bird’s habitat, the environment ministry in 2022 selected five areas on Honshu as candidate sites. Following the Noto region, a release is scheduled for June 2027 in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, western Japan. Hopes for Regional Revitalization The environment ministry’s road map, revised in the fiscal year that ended in March, clearly states that, for the time being, efforts should focus on releasing crested ibises on Honshu. The road map sets a goal of having about 50 crested ibises released on Honshu living in two or more areas by fiscal 2030, with breeding confirmed in at least one of the locations. Its ultimate aim is to increase the number of mature crested ibises living in the wild to more than 1,000. There are also hopes that releasing crested ibises in Noto will play an important role in regional revitalization. The birds have been positioned as a “symbol of recovery” from the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake and torrential rain disasters. To preserve feeding grounds, the Ishikawa prefectural government has established a certification system for rice cultivation that reduces the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. The prefecture hopes to increase the added value of locally grown rice and expand its sales channels. The Izumo municipal government, meanwhile, aims to create a new regional brand as “a city where both crested ibises and people thrive.” To build momentum, the city is considering measures such as designating a “Crested Ibis Day,” holding related events and introducing an ordinance. “As population decline remains a challenge in hilly and mountainous areas, we hope (the planned release of crested ibises) will encourage people to learn more about the region, help increase visitor numbers and lead to the development of new products,” a city official said. Beyond the reintroduction in Noto and the release planned for Izumo, efforts are underway in three other areas, including Tome, Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan, to create habitats in anticipation of ibises that may settle there. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]