In gratitude for assistance during the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March, Japan has sent a pair of endangered red-crowned cranes to Taiwan. The birds are serving as a gesture of friendship between the two nations, and they will be hosted at the Taipei Zoo.

The Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis), also called the Japanese Crane or Manchurian Crane are native throughout Asia but were once hunted to near extinction because of their attractive plumes. This species is among the largest of the world's cranes. The habitats used by these birds are marshes, riverbanks, rice fields, and other wet areas. They eat small amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, insects, and plants that grow in marshes and swamps.

The estimated total population of the species is only 2,750 in the wild, including about 1,000 birds in the resident Japanese population, which is roughly one-third of the world's population.  The birds are highly prized as symbols of longevity, fidelity and good luck.