This coming January February and March 2018 I am looking forward to leading several photography groups on a Hokkaido Photography Tour. The Red-crowned crane is just one of many rare bird species we will encounter during these photo tour-workshop vacations.

The cranes are a protected species and designated a National treasure of Japan, they are often described as the snow ballerinas, as they perform their graceful courtship dance. They bow to one another than, raise their heads towards the sky and sing in unison just as they begin their courtship dance.

The pair or the entire flock will leap into the air a the same time commencing in the courtship dance.

The Red-Crowned Crane, Tancho as it is known in Japanese, stands at 150 to158 cm (4ft to 5 ft) tall weighing 8 to 11 kg (17 to 25) pounds with a large wingspan measuring 200 to 260 cm (6.5 ft to 8.5 ft) and live more than 60 years, wow imagine their size and watching the ballet!

The red-crowned cranes are the only crane species in the world that have white primary feathers. The adult's foreheads and crown are covered with bare red skin. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, but males tend to be slightly larger in size.

In 2019 I am teaming up with a master photographer, who is the leading provider of photography workshops to the edge-of-the-planet destinations - Kevin Raber of the Luminous Landscape. I hope you can join us, January of 2019 for Japan Winter Wildlife Photo Expedition Workshop. On this unforgettable journey we will be photographing the Red-Crowned Crane. To read more about this unforgettable workshop please visit Rockhopper Workshops, exclusive provider of Luminous Landscape workshops.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me