Rare Asian hooded crane found in US after 'taking wrong turn' The TWRA said in a release that more than 8,000 of the hooded cranes - approximately 80 per cent of the world's population of the species - winter on the Japanese island of Kyushu. It is unlikely that the bird escaped from captivity, Ms Welton said, since there are no bands or other markings. Instead she said it's probably a happy freak occurrence that brought it to Tennessee. "There have been other records of birds that take a wrong turn," she said. And now that he's on the North American continent, it looks like he's associating with his closest relatives. In addition to the Asian crane and the flock of sandhills, whooping cranes are wintering at the refuge. "This is the highlight of the century for southeast Tennessee," said local birder Tommie Rogers. Likely there have never been three different crane species visible in the wild east of the Mississippi River before. Bald eagles also are a common sight at the refuge that is about a 45-minute drive north or Chattanooga.