An Asian hooded crane that probably should be in Japan this time

An Asian hooded crane that probably should be in Japan this time of year has flown in with thousands of his North American relatives.

And as Reuters says, that is “drawing flocks of curious birdwatchers” to the refuge in southeast Tennessee.

The crane was first seen on Dec. 13, according to The Tennessean. It’s possible, the newspaper reported, that it could be the same bird that was spotted last April in Idaho. Photos don’t show any band on its legs, making it less likely that it’s an escapee from an North American zoo or sanctuary.

Welton tells Reuters it could just be that the bird took a wrong turn somewhere “and now that he’s on the North American continent, it looks like he’s associating with his closest relatives.”

There are photos and a few videos showing up on the Web, including this musical mash-up.

By NPR People: Mark Memmott