Island takes flight after China bird gift

Crested ibises on Japan's Sado all descended from Shaanxi

TOKYO - Crested ibises, the iconic birds that were on the verge of extinction in Japan in the 1980s, are now prospering and providing a boost to the local economy on the island of Sado, thanks to China's help.

Since May, the island's farmers have been busy in the fields transplanting rice seedlings. In the morning and evening, white-plumed crested ibises can be seen hunting for food in the paddy fields.