Swan song: Nagano’s migratory birds begin trekーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS #shorts
Bewick’s swans that wintered in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, have begun their long journey north, heading back to their breeding grounds in Siberia, some 4,000 kilometers away. The Saigawa River, which runs through the city, is a well-known wintering site for whooper swans migrating from Siberia. In peak years, more than 1,000 swans gather to rest in the area. This season, however, swan numbers were noticeably lower. According to the Swan Society of Japan, which has been monitoring and protecting them for years, only 283 swans were recorded at the season’s peak.