Endangered Ibises Return
Crested Ibises Return to Japanese Wild Decades After Extinction Thanks to Conservation
Eight crested ibises took flight over Japan's Noto Peninsula on May 31, 2026 — the first time the species has flown wild on Honshu in 56 years. Kyodo News reported that the birds were released in Hakui City, Ishikawa Prefecture, marking a milestone in one of Asia's most remarkable conservation comebacks.
Known as *Toki* in Japan, the crested ibis went extinct on Honshu in the 1970s due to overhunting and pesticide poisoning. The release comes as the Noto region still rebuilds from the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck on January 1, 2024. For many residents, the birds carry a deeper meaning. "The dream I pursued for so long has finally come true," said Yoshio Muramoto, a 101-year-old conservationist who spent 70 years working toward this moment, according to JAPAN Forward.
How the Toki Vanished — and Then Came Back
The crested ibis was once common across East Asia. In Japan, hunters killed the birds for their feathers, which were used in brooms and dusters. Farmers then poisoned rice paddies with mercury-based pesticides, wiping out the frogs and loaches the ibis depended on. By 1981, the Japanese government had captured the last five wild ibises on Sado Island to save the species — but the original Japanese bloodline was already finished. The last native-born Japanese ibis, a bird named Kin, died in October 2003, according to Nippon.com.
The rescue came from China. In 1981, scientists rediscovered seven wild ibises in Shaanxi Province, China, after the birds were thought to be globally extinct. In 1999, China gifted a breeding pair — You-you and Yang-yang — to Japan. That same year, the pair produced the first captive-born chick, Yu-yu. From those few birds, Japan's ibis population grew to roughly 500–580 individuals on Sado Island by the 2020s, according to The Japan News.
Eight Birds Released, Thousands Watching From Afar
The May 31 release drew enormous public interest. Over 3,000 people applied for just 600 spectator seats at the Hakui ceremony, according to Asia News Network. Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko attended in person. The Crown Prince is a trained ornithologist and has long supported what officials call "ibis diplomacy" between Japan and China.
The eight birds released on May 31 are just the start. Ten more ibises are undergoing a "soft release" — a gradual transition process — at a temporary facility nearby, bringing the first phase total to 18 birds. The government's long-term goal is a self-sustaining population of at least 220 ibises in the Noto region by the early 2030s, Kyodo News reported.
Farmers Swap Pesticides for 'Ibis-Certified' Rice
Making Noto safe for ibises required changing how local farmers work. The birds need clean paddies full of frogs and loaches to eat. One local farmer, Eiji Hamada, switched to eco-friendly methods three years before the release to help create feeding grounds. Ishikawa Prefecture has now launched a "Future of Noto: Rice and Ibis" certification that lets participating farmers sell their rice at a premium price, according to JAPAN Forward.
Ishikawa Governor Yukiyoshi Yamano called the release a "symbol of recovery" for a region battered first by earthquake, then by heavy rains. But not everyone has embraced the program. Several municipalities in nearby Niigata Prefecture withdrew their applications to host ibis releases. Local farmers there feared the large birds would damage rice crops and that stricter pesticide rules would hurt their yields, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
Scientists Celebrate — But Flag Real Risks Ahead
Conservationists are watching Sado Island's numbers closely. The island's ibis population dropped from an estimated 576 birds in 2024 to 473 in 2025, a dip that has raised concern among researchers on the Toki Reintroduction Review Committee, according to JAPAN Forward. A second challenge is genetics: all ibises in Japan descend from just 5 to 7 founder birds from China, meaning inbreeding remains a serious long-term risk.
Despite those concerns, Japanese officials are pushing ahead. The Environment Ministry plans a second mainland release in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, scheduled for June 2027. The entire program depends on continued cooperation with China, which still supplies breeding stock to keep Japan's population genetically healthy — a rare area of steady partnership despite broader tensions between the two countries, according to The Japan News.
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