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Stalks of rice standing in the field is a familiar scene,
except for the barbed wire nest to the field that reminds of our painful division.
When the stalks are harvested,
it is the goose that first touches down in the empty fields.
The Korean DMZ is a haven for migratory birds.
They rest their tired wings in the field devoid of stalks,
but with plenty of rice grains left on the ground for them to feast on.
A large white goose stands out from the flock.
This symbol of good fortune recently
began appearing in the DMZ to stay for the winter.
The White-naped crane touches down just after the geese appear.
White-naped Crane (Natural Monument No. 203)
Having left its summer home near Amur river in Siberia,
it too has chosen the DMZ as its winter refuge.
Survival is the main reason birds migrate long distances,
in search of places where temperatures and food sources are more accommodating.
Though no one forces to take their long journeys,
they follow a part ingrained in their genes by instinct and habit.
The White-naped crane is a handsome bird, with bright red cheeks
and lean, charcoal bodies resembling a tuxedoed dancer.
Sometime, a common crane flies in with a group of hooded cranes.
Common Crane (Natural Monument No. 451) A seasoned traveler that migrate incredible distances,
the common crane is better known for its tail feathers.
White-naped cranes always live as families.
This baby white-naped crane is seeing the DMZ for the first time.
There are only 4,000 White-naped cranes left in the entire world,
and about 600 of them spend their winters in the DMZ around Chorwon.