The Epic Journey of the Siberian crane!
Hundreds of millions of birds are taking to the skies each night, southward-bound in search of warmer weather.The Siberian crane or snow crane is known for its extremely long and arduous annual journeys, is one of the world’s rarest cranes.There are roughly 3,600 to 4,000 Siberian Cranes left in the world.
Their journey is a critical part of their life cycle, allowing them to survive the harsh winter and then return to their native Siberian wetlands when the weather becomes more favorable in the spring.For the Yakuts and Yukaghirs, the white crane is a sacred bird associated with sun, spring and kind celestial spirits ajyy,in Japan the crane is a revered bird, symbolizing long life and good fortune.
The snow crane's western and central populations, which once bred in western Russia, then migrated to parts of Central Asia and India,is nearly extinct today. Siberian cranes have historically followed at least three main migration routes, but only one, the eastern route, is still functional today.
This route originates in northeastern Siberia (Yakutia), travels south through Russia and eastern China, stopping at wetlands like the Qiqihar-Baicheng and Yellow River deltas, before reaching its wintering grounds at Poyang Lake along the Yangtze River in southeastern China.
Siberian cranes were historically found in India at the Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) in Rajasthan during the winter months.However, this magnificent bird is now Critically Endangered, and their last known regular visits to the park were many years ago, leading to serious concerns for their future survival.
The 3,000-mile-long migration of the critically endangered Siberian Crane poses serious difficulties from poisoning, food shortages, habitat loss, and hunting.The Siberian Crane's status reflects the health of the vast, interconnected wetland systems it relies on during its long migration from Arctic Russia to wintering grounds in China through established flyaways.
The destruction of the western population means that now, almost every Siberian crane spends the winter at Poyang Lake in China. The lake’s clear waters and its seasonal ebb and flow means that the water celery that the cranes eat grows abundantly.However, a proposed dam on the lake, which conservations say would disrupt the ecosystem, could threaten the crane’s food supply in their last haven.
Conservation projects in China are focusing on habitat protection and restoration, community engagement, and environmental education. These initiatives are supported by the Disney Conservation Fund, among others.Hopefully these elegant birds can be brought back from the brink.
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