Swans of Lake Inawashiro and Their Wintering Grounds

The whooper swan is a large white swan whose yellow bill patch extends far toward the tip, arriving in Japan from the north in winter. It feeds on aquatic plants in lakes and rivers and moves in family groups. "The swans of Kominato and their wintering ground" in Hiranai, Aomori, is a Special Natural Monument, and sites such as Izunuma-Uchinuma in Miyagi, Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima and Suibara in Niigata are also Natural Monuments.

The tundra swan is a white swan with a small yellow patch at the bill base, arriving in Japan in winter from Siberia. It feeds on lakes and in paddies, calling to one another in flocks. Wintering sites such as Izunuma-Uchinuma in Miyagi, Lake Inawashiro in Fukushima and Suibara in Niigata are Natural Monuments.