Demoiselle Crane
It is the smallest species of crane. They are slightly smaller than the common crane but have a similar plumage. It has a long white neck stripe and the black on the foreneck extends down over the chest in a plume. It has a loud trumpeting call, higher-pitched than the common crane. Like other cranes it has a dancing display, more balletic than the common crane, with less leaping. They were named by Queen Marie Antoinette, for its delicate and maiden-like appearance.
They are a species of crane found in central Eurasia, ranging from the Black Sea to Mongolia and North Eastern China. There is also a small breeding population in Turkey. These cranes are migratory birds.
Habitat
They live in a variety of different environments, including desert areas and numerous types of grasslands (flooded, mountain, temperate and tropical grassland) which are often within a few hundred metres of streams or lakes. When nesting, they prefer patchy areas of vegetation which is tall enough to conceal them and their nests, yet short enough to allow them look out for predators whilst incubating their eggs. They have to take one of the toughest migrations in the world. In late August through September, they gather in flocks of up to 400 individuals and prepare for their flight to their winter range. During their migratory flight south, demoiselles fly like all cranes, with their head and neck straight forward and their feet and legs straight behind, reaching altitudes of 16,000–26,000 feet.
Along their arduous journey they have to cross the Himalayan mountains to get to their over-wintering grounds in India. Simpler, lower routes are possible, such as crossing the range via the Khyber Pass. However, their presently preferred route has been hard-wired by countless cycles of migration. At their wintering grounds, demoiselles have been observed flocking with common cranes, their combined totals reaching up to 20,000 individuals. Demoiselles maintain separate social groups within the larger flock. In March and April, they begin their long spring journey back to their northern nesting grounds. In Khichan, Rajasthan in India, villagers feed the cranes on their migration and these large congregations have become an annual spectacle.
Diet
They are omnivores. The diet of the demoiselle crane is mainly made up of grass seeds. Insects, particularly beetles, are also important in summer and small animals will also be eaten opportunistically. Demoiselle cranes will often gather in large flocks and they will visit cereal and vegetable crops, often causing a lot of damage.
Breeding
Demoiselle cranes are monogamous, with a pair staying together for their whole lives. The breeding season is from April-May, extending to late June in the north of the range. These birds nest on dry ground or gravel, as well as in cultivated areas or in open areas of grass. A pair becomes territorial and aggressive, and will defend their nesting area, sometimes luring a predator away from the nest through a type of “broken-wing” display. 2 eggs are laid directly on the ground. Sometimes vegetation or small stones are gathered by the parents to provide protection and camouflage, but the nest itself is always a minimal composition. Incubation is for about 27-29 days, by both adults. Their downy chicks are gray with a pale brownish head, and otherwise grayish-white. Both parents feed them, and they follow their parents to the foraging areas nearby very soon after hatching. At about 55-65 days they fledge, at 10 months they become independent and can usually breed at 4-8 years old.
Population
The global population is estimated to number 230,000-261,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 9,700-13,300 pairs, which equates to 19,400-26,500 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). The overall population trend is increasing, although some populations are decreasing, stable or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing by less than 25% in 33.6 years (three generations) (BirdLife International 2015).
Threats
Habitat loss and degradation from agriculture (e.g. agricultural conversion of steppe grassland, intensification of agricultural methods and changes in agricultural practices such as increased spring ploughing) is the primary threat to this species throughout its range. Other threats include disturbance due to rising human populations, intensive use of pesticides, hunting for sport (along the migration route in Afghanistan and Pakistan), and shooting and intentional poisoning in some areas where crop damage occurs. Many migratory habitats have also been lost through the building of dams and the drainage of wetlands, and the breeding population in Morocco is threatened by over-grazing and mining.
Conservation
Conservation Actions Underway
A European Crane Working Group has been established. The species was included in the IUCN conservation action plan for cranes. The species is legally protected in Russia and Ukraine. The species is mostly found outside of protected areas. In recent years, only one pair from the Black Sea population has bred within a protected area, at Azov-Sivash National Park in Ukraine. Conservation programmes such as those in the Ukraine, have thus far, focused on analyzing the factors affecting the species in agricultural settings, and identifying methods to reduce negative impacts. Surveys have been undertaken in areas such as Ukraine and Georgia. In 1992, the Azov-Black Sea Ornithological Station in Ukraine established "The Virgo Programme" to monitor this and other rare and disappearing bird species of the Ukrainian steppes. Research has focused on distribution, population numbers, biology, flock movements, breeding ecology and migration patterns from various portions of its main breeding range. Education programs involving the species have also been initiated in Ukraine.
Conservation Actions Proposed
The following information refers to the species's range in Europe only: The species would benefit from stronger protection of the Black Sea population and its habitats by strengthening the network of protected areas, as well as the protection of breeding habitat outside of protected areas by working with landholders to implement conservation measures. Long term monitoring should be continued and expanded and surveys conducted to determine the size of the Turkish population, assess its habitat and potential threats. Continue research, focusing on the breeding biology, range, migration, habitat requirements and threats to the species. Organize migration watches in the Balkan Peninsula and Cyprus. Educational programs for use throughout the population's range should be developed. Examine the historic range and habitats of the Black Sea population, and the potential for its eventual re-establishment in areas from which it has been extirpated or now occurs only during migration. Enforcement of existing hunting restrictions in Georgia should be strengthened.