The white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. A massive raptor with a rather long, heavy bill; broad, plank-like wings; and relatively short, graduated tail. Looks like a flying barn door and soars with wings rather level (not slightly raised like Golden Eagle). Its plumage is dark overall and the adult has a paler brown head and body, white tail, yellowish bill. The immature starts with a mostly brown tail streaked white, blackish bill; and attains its fully white tail in about 4 years. Generally uncommon, mainly found along seacoasts and larger rivers (feeds predominantly on fish).

#wildartworks, #natgeowild #WhitetailedEagle #DriftIce #Winter #Rausu #SeaofOkhotsk, #birdinginthewild, #birdphotography, #conservationphotography, #Hokkaido, #raptor, #eagle

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Manchurian crane or Japanese crane 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.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #hokkaido, #redcrownedcranes, #endangered, #rarestcrane, #largecrane, #tanchocrane, #manchuriancrane, #japanesecrane

The Steller’s Sea Eagle is one of the most remarkable birds I have seen. Though familiar in summer to native peoples of the Russian Far East, of the Aleutian Islands and even south-west Alaska, & in winter to those in northern Japan, it was unknown to western ornithologists until the late 18th century.

Standing a metre tall, with a wingspan approaching 3m & weighing as much as 9 kg, it is arguably among the largest eagles in the world (and certainly one of the biggest three or four).

#wildartworks, #natgeowild #StellersSeaEagle #DriftIce #Winter #Rausu #SeaofOkhotsk, #birdinginthewild, #birdphotography, #conservationphotography, #Hokkaido, #Steller’sSeaEagle #eagle #raptor

The Yezo sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) is one of the many subspecies of the sika deer found on the island of Hokkaido. Mainly a forest-dwelling deer, they prefer forested areas that have a dense understory. The sika that inhabit the island of Hokkaido are indigenous, although it is not known whether they originated there or migrated from the main island of Japan. It is thought they may have traveled across the strait between the islands.

#wildartworks, #sikadeer, #yezosikadeer, #hokkaido, #notsukepeninsula, #deer

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.