A Bird That Went Extinct in Japan Has Returned to the Wild Decades Later — and Royals Were There to Watch It Soar
A Bird That Went Extinct in Japan Has Returned to the Wild Decades Later — and Royals Were There to Watch It Soar
Moná ThomasMon, June 1, 2026 at 7:59 PM UTC
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A crested Ibis marked with painted wings flies as it was released into wild in Hakui, Japan on May 31, 2026
Credit: Kazushi Kurihara/Kyodo News via AP
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Eight crested ibises were released in Hakui city in the northern part of Japan, marking the species' return to the area after decades
The birds were bred in captivity on Sado Island as part of a conservation program that began in the 1990s
Once extinct in Japan, the species' recovery was aided by a donation of ibises from China in 1999
Eight white birds took flight over a north-central Japanese city, a sight that hasn't been seen in that part of the country in decades.
According to the , the crested ibises were released into the wild in Hakui city in the Noto region on Sunday, May 31, during a release ceremony led by Crown Prince Akishino, his wife, Kiko, and other officials.
The eight ibises were raised at a conservation center on Sado Island in neighboring Niigata Prefecture as part of a captive-breeding program. Ten more birds are waiting to be released at a later date.
The birds, known as "Toki," are recognized by their white feathers, vivid orange-pink hues beneath their wings and bright red markings around their eyes. Hakui City, in the Noto region, is the last place the birds were ever observed in the wild.
Their road back from extinction is a decades-long story.
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Crown Prince Fumihito (2nd from R) and Crown Princess Kiko (far R) release crested ibises into the wild in Hakui, Japan on May 31, 2026
Credit: Kyodo via AP
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According to the Independent and ABC News, the species vanished from the main island of Honshu in the 1970s, driven out by overhunting and environmental degradation. The last native Japanese crested ibis died in 2003 on Sado Island.
The comeback began with an unlikely assist from China in 1999, when the country donated a pair of ibises. According to the country's Environment Ministry, that donation later led to the first crested ibis chick born in captivity in Japan.
From there, conservation efforts built, and in 2008, ten birds were released into the wild on Sado Island. Their population has since grown to around 500, the ministry reported.
Japan isn't the only country to have brought the species back. South Korea, where the crested ibis went extinct in 1979, released 40 captive-bred birds into the wild in 2019.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
