The second crested ibis bred in captivity in Japan hatched Monday morning at a conservation center on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, prefectural officials said.
The chick began chipping at the shell of its egg -- one of three laid in April by Yang Yang, a female ibis from China -- on Sunday morning. Another chick is expected to hatch in the coming days, according to the officials.
Yang Yang arrived in Japan in January 1999 with a male partner, You You, as a gift from Chinese President Jiang Zemin to the Emperor.
Last May, Yang Yang produced Japan's first ibis chick bred in captivity, Yu Yu, at the center, which is located in the Sea of Japan. This year's chick weighed 60.9 grams, about 5 grams more at birth than Yu Yu, officials said.