By SHIGETAKA KODAMA/ Staff Writer
November 18, 2021 at 18:30 JST
A flock of greater white-fronted geese take flight en masse in the early morning on Nov. 17 in Kurihara, Miyagai Prefecture. (Shigetaka Kodama)
Heralding the arrival of winter, massive flocks of geese migrating from Siberia are landing in a marsh in Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan, as local residents marvel at the sight.
At the crack of dawn, squadrons of greater white-fronted geese take flight en masse from the Izunuma marsh, which stretches across Kurihara and Tome in the prefecture, to look for unpicked crops in fields.
According to the Miyagi Prefectural Izunuma-Uchinuma Environmental Foundation, the number of incoming geese in the area reached an estimated 100,000 on Nov. 11, the peak for this season.
The foundation studies and researches the nature and environment of the Izunuma marsh as well as the nearby Uchinuma marsh. Every year, the geese fly to regions in eastern Russia in early February after wintering in and around the Izunuma marsh.
The marsh is a winter habitat for birds such as swans and geese and has been included in the Ramsar Convention’s list of wetlands of international importance.
The convention is an international treaty aimed at conservation and wise use of wetlands, and it maintains the list to recognize the wetlands’ significance and ensure their effective management.
A bald eagle, U.S. national bird, seen wintering in Hokkaido marsh
February 8, 2021
Ostrich chicks 10 days old bump into each other taking baby steps
October 15, 2021
Dad actually dislikes crow nests, toils with AI to expel them
August 12, 2021
Endangered African bird finally caught outside Tokyo
June 6, 2021
VOX POPULI: Birds on a wire keep their own counsel on why they perch there
March 17, 2021
VOX POPULI: Swans from north, symbol of sanctity, inspire mythical maiden
February 12, 2021
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
