Crested ibises 'dance' during mating season. (©Fumie Oyama)
As December draws to a close, Sado Island has already seen one snowfall. The snow briefly accumulated but has since melted, and the true cold of winter is still ahead. For the crested ibis, this season marks a period of preparation for the breeding season.
On a ridge between rice paddies, two crested ibises were calling loudly, spreading their wings wide and spinning in circles. At first glance, it looked as though they were dancing together.
'Dancing' by the Rice Paddies
Although it may look romantic, this behavior is not a dance but a fight. Seen from a distance, it resembles an elegant performance, but through a telephoto lens, the confrontation becomes unmistakable. Because it is often observed during the breeding season, I call it the "ibis love dance."
According to the Toki Monitoring Team, these encounters usually occur between males. They are threat displays intended to drive away rivals that come too close or males attempting to approach a bonded female.
Occasionally, a male will also confront a female. In such cases, a young, unpaired female approaches a male who already has a partner and is quickly chased off. Among humans, a partnered male might be tempted by attention from a younger woman, but once a crested ibis has chosen a mate, it shows remarkable fidelity.
This "love dance" begins abruptly and ends just as suddenly.
Bathing Together
Another behavior seen during the mating season is group bathing.
Crested ibises bathe year-round, but during this season they gather in flocks. When one bird begins to bathe, the others quickly join in, and soon the entire group is splashing together.
Seeing many ibises bathing at once in a small puddle in a rice field is a striking sight — almost as if they are enjoying an outdoor hot spring.
As the breeding season approaches, crested ibises spread a black substance from around their necks over their bodies, transforming their feathers into what is known as breeding plumage. This behavior is unique to ibises among birds worldwide. They often apply this dark coloring while preening after bathing. However, when these photos were taken, their feathers had not yet darkened, and the soft pink color remained vivid.
For a little while longer, as the breeding season approaches, we can continue to enjoy the crested ibis's beautiful pink-orange hues.
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This is the 29th in the series Sado Wildlife in Focus by photojournalist Fumie Oyama.
Fumie Oyama is a two-time winner of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association Award as a photographer for The Sankei Shimbun. After covering the reintroduction of the crested ibis to the wild for 11 years, Oyama left the company in 2020 to move to Sado Island. There, he continues to photograph the ibis and other wildlife while engaging in farming. He currently promotes the charms of Sado Island as a photojournalist. Follow Fumie Oyama on Instagram.
