Blakiston’s fish owls, the largest living species of #owls in the world, an endangered species that lives in some of the hardest-to-reach corners of northeast Asia. There are thought to be less than 1000 pairs of these birds remaining in the wild, with very few individuals held in captivity. Found only in northeast Asia, this secretive species has a fragmented distribution in the remote forests of Hokkaido in northern Japan, the Russian Far East, and northeastern China. #wildartworks, #Bubo_blakistoni, #birdinginthewild, #birdphotography, #nature, #wildlife, #raptor, #owl, #endangered

Somewhere deep within the Kushiro-shitsugen National Park, in the Kottaro wetlands along the banks of the Kushiro, I found the elusive Ural Owl. Named for the Ural Mountains of Russia which is part of their natural range and where the first specimen was collected, these owls are threatened by humans eliminating the hollow trees they nest in. #WildArtWorks, #UralOwl, #Hokkaido, #BirdPhotography, #Birdinginthewild, #raptor, #owl

Crows are members of the Corvidae family, which also includes ravens, magpies, and blue jays. Loud, rambunctious, and very intelligent, crows are most often associated with a long history of fear and loathing. They are considered pests by farmers trying to protect their crops and seedlings. Many people fear them simply because of their black feathers, which are often associating them with death. But research has demonstrated that crows are actually very social and caring creatures, and also among the smartest animals on the planet. #wildartworks, #crows, #corvidae

Lake Kussharo, an inland lake in the west of Hokkaido, is a caldera lake, a remnant of a long-ago erupted volcano. Its violent, seismic past is evident even today, with natural hot springs bubbling up along its shoreline, heating both the water and gravelly shores. It is here where the Whooper Swans gather to find refuge from Hokkaido’s brutally cold winters.

Like much of Japan, Hokkaido is seismically active. Consequently, hot springs and volcanic vents can be found all across the island. Lake Kussharo, an inland lake in the western region of Hokkaido, is a caldera lake, a remnant of a long-ago erupted volcano. Its violent, seismic past is evident even today, with natural hot springs bubbling up along its shoreline, heating both the water and sandy shores. It is here where the Whooper Swans gather to find refuge from Hokkaido’s brutally cold winters.

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane (Japanese: 丹頂鶴 or タンチョウヅル; rōmaji: tanchōzuru), is a large East Asian crane among the rarest cranes in the world. In some parts of its range, it is known as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity.