Black kite catching a leaping grasshopper (©Fumie Oyama)
Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth ー Sado Wildlife in Focus | Not Just a Scavenger, Behold the Mastery of the Black Kite!
It's harvest time. As the combine harvester rumbles through the rice fields, a black kite dives down, slicing through the air with graceful precision. Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture is the only place in Japan where the crested ibis, a special natural monument of Japan, still lives in the wild.
I relocated from Tokyo to Sado to capture this unique bird on film. Though the crested ibis is usually my primary subject, the black kite's commanding presence was impossible to ignore, drawing my lens its way.
Masterful Flight
Heavy September rains delayed the 2024 rice harvest. The downpours caused the rice plants to topple over, making the combine harvest take three times as long as usual.
This was my first autumn joining the combine harvest operation. Though initially a bit challenging, it was enjoyable once I got the hang of it. Then, I witnessed something extraordinary.
Whoosh! As we harvested, a black kite suddenly swooped down right beside me, slicing through the air. Startled by the noise of the combine, grasshoppers, frogs, and mice sprang out of the rice fields, creating a prime hunting ground for the kites. Watching these birds snatch prey mid-air was truly a sight to behold.
Underestimated Hunter
Known as tobi or tonbi in Japan, the black kite is a member of the hawk family. These birds typically grow to 60 cm long, with a wingspan that can reach up to 160 cm. They are a familiar sight across Japan, often identified by their distinctive, whinnying call, "pee-hyo-lo-low."
Omnivorous by nature, the black kite feeds on carrion and scraps. This has earned it nicknames like "cleaner" and "scavenger." Japanese proverbs reflect its reputation, with expressions like: "The black kite will snatch your fried tofu" (meaning something valuable is unexpectedly taken). Another expression applied to it is, "A black kite bears a hawk," meaning an exceptional child born to ordinary parents.
Though often seen as a lesser bird of prey compared to other raptors, the black kite is a capable hunter. One only has to watch it diving with precision, capturing even the smallest insects with its sharp beak or talons.
Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth to learn more about the unusual behavior of the crested ibis during the hot days of summer.
Read more Sado Wildlife in Focus photo essays by photojournalist Fumie Oyama. And find more great articles on the environment and the SDGs on our affiliated website Japan 2 Earth (J2E).
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(Read the essay in Japanese)
Author: Fumie Oyama, Photojournalist
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 Insta.
