top of page

Siberian Crane

They are known as the Siberian white crane or the snow crane.  Adults of both genders have a pure white plumage except for the black primaries, alula and primary coverts. The fore-crown, face and side of head is bare and brick red, the bill is dark and the legs are pinkish. The iris is yellowish. Juveniles are feathered on the face and the plumage is dingy brown. There are no elongated tertial feathers as in some other crane species. During breeding season, both the male and female cranes are often seen with mud streaking their feathers. They dip their beaks in mud and smear it on their feathers. The call is very different from the trumpeting of most cranes and is a goose-like high pitched whistling toyoya. They typically weigh 4.9–8.6kg and stand about 140cm tall. The wingspan is 210–230cm and length is 115–127cm. Males are on average larger than females.

Siberian Crane.jpg

Habitat

They are the most aquatic member of its family, breeding and wintering in wetlands, and shows a general preference of shallow(up to 30cm) fresh water with good visibility. They breed in the lowland taiga and taiga-tundra transition zone where it occurs in moss-covered marshland, tidal bogs, marshes and other wetland depressions with unrestricted visibility. They may also breed on brushland interspersed with woods. In late springs some birds have been known to nest on drier, more hilly areas of polygonal tundra, and non-breeders sometimes occur on high, hilly banks of rivers and lakes and in small depressions between large, elongated hills. Non-breeding Resting areas and stopovers on migration tend to consist of large, isolated wetlands. Bogs and salt-licks used by ungulates, particularly Alces alces, offer greater foraging resources as trampling by the ungulates exposes rhizomes and roots on which the cranes forage. It winters in the shallows and mudflats of seasonal lakes of the Yangtze Basin, as well as steppes near water, open jheels and swamps. Those that winter in India and Iran use artificial water impoundments and flooded rice fields. 

siberian.gif

Diet

This species is omnivorous. Breeding During the summer its diet is broad, consisting primarily of roots, rhizomes, seeds, sprouts of sedges and other plant materials, but also insects, fish, rodents and other small animals. Non-breeding During the non-breeding season it feeds mainly on roots, bulbs, tubers (especially of sedges), rhizomes, sprouts and stems of aquatic plants, and sometimes aquatic animals if these are readily available.

Breeding

Siberian cranes return to the Arctic tundra around the end of April and beginning of May.  The nest is usually on the edge of lake in boggy ground and is usually surrounded by water. Most eggs are laid in the first week of June when the tundra is snow free. The usual clutch is two eggs, which are incubated by the female after the second egg is laid. The male stands guard nearby. The eggs hatch in about 27 to 29 days. The young birds fledge in about 80 days. Usually only a single chick survives due to aggression between young birds. The population increase per year is less than 10%, the lowest recruitment rate among cranes. Their success in breeding may further be hampered by disturbance from reindeer and sometimes dogs that accompany reindeer herders.  Captive breeding was achieved by the International Crane Foundation at Baraboo after numerous failed attempts. Males often killed their mates and captive breeding was achieved by artificial insemination and the hatching of eggs by other crane species such as the Sandhill and using floodlights to simulate the longer daylengths of the Arctic summer.

Population

The population is estimated at 3,500-4,000 individuals, based on a count of 3,750 at Poyang Lake in 2008 and counts of 3,400 at Momoge in May 2011 and at Poyang in early 2012. The western subpopulation numbers only a single individual aside from reintroduced birds.  This species' population is suspected to have decreased rapidly over the last three generations, in line with levels of wetland conversion (for development and agriculture), hunting (especially on passage) and disturbance. Construction of the Three Gorges Dam has changed the hydrological pattern of the lower Yangtze River, resulting in lower water levels in winter. Poyang Lake thus drains more rapidly into the Yangtze during the low water period. In addition, as of 2001, over 9,600 dams had been constructed on the five rivers feeding into Poyang Lake (more are still being constructed). As a result of water diversions and climate fluctuations, floods and droughts are increasingly frequent at Poyang. In response, it is probable that a dam will be constructed at the outlet to Poyang Lake to stabilize winter water levels. Operation of its sluice gates has not been determined, but early proposals called for significantly increased water levels through the winter season, which would make most or all current foraging areas for the cranes inaccessible, perhaps causing extremely rapid declines in the next three generations.

Threats

The key threat to this species is wetland loss and degradation at wintering sites and staging areas through diversion of water for human use, agricultural development, the development of oilfields and increased human utilisation. The most significant threat to the eastern flyway is a proposed dam at the outlet of Poyang Lake to stabilize water flows for navigation, irrigation, and other economic purposes–to be built in part in response to impacts of the Three Gorges Dam on water levels in the Yangtze River. Management of water levels to sustain ecosystem function will be critical to the long-term viability of this species. The most recent drought forced birds to feed in sub-optimal upland habitat. Construction of the Three Gorges Dam changed the hydrological pattern of the lower Yangtze river and may have a major impact on the wintering population, as may the quantity of sand-dredging that is also occurring along the Yangtze. In Western Siberia the establishment of oilfields and associated urban developments are significant causes of habitat loss and degradation.  Increasing levels of human disturbance is also a problem, particularly at Poyang Lake, where crab farming may restrict access to high-quality foraging habitat. Along eastern migration routes, water has been diverted from the Zhalong and Momoge National Nature Reserve for human use. Although water releases to sustain wetland functions have been negotiated, sustaining these releases over the long term will be important, especially for Momoge. Also canals and fragmentation within the reserve have altered water flow. Limited fresh water has caused marshes in the Huanghe Delta National Reserve to dry up, and the harvesting of reeds by people has seriously disturbed cranes. A hydro-electric scheme is also proposed for the headwaters of the Aldan River basin, the construction of power lines northwards to Yakutsk, and oil and gas prospecting. Overhunting of Alces alces reduces availability of rhizomes and roots usually exposed by trampling. Disturbance from boating activities is also a problem at stopover sites. Hunting on passage and wintering grounds in Iran is the key threat to the Central/Western population, and inhibits recovery. Poisoning targeted at waterbirds in China, e.g. Huanzidong Reservoir, Shenyang Region, may also affect this species. Pesticide use and pollution is a threat in India. Climate change may be a long term threat to breeding sites, with changes in the permafrost layer causing expansion of lakes and the loss of islands, peninsulas and low-lying shorelines. The expansion of lakes and subsequent habitat modification has been on-going in the breeding grounds of the eastern population since the 1950s.

Conservation

Conservation Actions Underway
It is legally protected in all range states. Eleven range states signed a Memorandum of Understanding under the Convention for Migratory Species(CMS MoU) and develop Conservation Plans every three years. To help protect key wetland sites, the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) and the International Crane Foundation conducted the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project from 2003-2009, conceived in 1998, to protect and manage a network of sites across Asia critical to Siberian Cranes and 26 other threatened species.  Achievements include improved protection for over 2.4 million hectares through designation of four new reserves, expansion of three others and upgraded legal protection status at another three, the designation of five new Ramsar sites, new management plans and improved capacity for many sites, and an extensive environmental education programme. Since 2002, Crane Day Celebrations in seven Siberian Crane Range States, including Siberian Crane Festivals in West Siberia and Kazakhstan, promote conservation of this endangered species and its habitats. Hunting societies throughout the former Soviet Union countries (Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) have been engaged and now distribute information about crane conservation when issuing hunting licenses. Volunteer committees among hunters have been created in Afganistan and Pakistan to share information on crane conservation and extensive poster campaigns and a documentary film have been distributed. A set of four national stamps were published in Iran in 2008 to help raise public awareness of the Siberian Crane and the importance of wetland conservation within the country, and a documentary on the species focusing on the last returning individual in Iran was broadcast in 2011.  Some birds have been marked and fitted with satellite transmitters. Key protected areas where monitoring occurs include Kytalyk, Chaygurgino, and Middle Aldan (Russia), Momoge, Poyang and Dongting (China), and Naurzum (Kazakhstan). The North East Asian Crane Site Network has been established under the East Asia-Australasian Flyway Partnership. Twelve important Siberian Crane sites along both Western and Central Flyways are designated in the Western/Central Asian Site Network for the Siberian Crane and other waterbirds established under CMS MoU and UNEP/GEF SCWP, and another 24 sites are proposed for inclusion. Four flourishing colonies of captive Siberian Cranes successfully raise the species for education and conservation purposes. Captive-raised birds have been released in an effort to maintain the Central Asian
and Western Asian flocks. Russian scientists started the “Flight of Hope” project which replicates the methodologies that have successfully helped to boost Whooping Crane populations in North America. 
Conservation Actions Proposed
Strengthen conservation of major wetlands in China that serve as critical migration and wintering habitat for the East Asian population through research, management, and policy activities. This includes water management at Poyang needs to sustain wetland productivity and ensure that extensive mudflats and shallow water areas are available throughout the winter, strengthen integrated water management at migratory stopover sites in north-east China, guided by on-going monitoring of the condition of these wetlands, to support wetland ecosystems that can support cranes, maintain or improve water quality at key stopover and migration sites to avoid detrimental ecosystem change or direct impacts on crane survival, continue long-term research on the effects of changes in water levels on water plants and water birds at Poyang and at sites in north-east China, and to protect and manage additional stopover sites, especially from Liaoning to Jiangxi Provinces, based on further investigation of migratory habitats.  Determine movements and behavior of birds during their first summer to identify and manage key sites for sub-adult birds. Investigate potential impacts of climate change on Yakutian breeding grounds. Identify, legally protect and manage key staging areas in Yakutia, accompanied by mitigation of development impacts along the flyway. Provide technical assistance on wildlife health monitoring and management practices at staging and wintering areas. Incorporate management of Western/Central Asian Site Network for Siberian Cranes and other Migratory Waterbirds under the broader Central Asia Flyway Initiative for migratory birds and continue support for captive breeding programmes. Foster relationships with hunters to improve awareness and promote sustainable hunting of waterbirds, and to engage hunters to protect and report sightings of Siberian Cranes, especially in Western and Central Asia. Cooperate with gas and oil companies in Russia and China to minimize disturbance and habitat degradation.

© 2023 by Name of Site. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page