Eight of the 15 crane species are found in eastern Asia. Their habitats cover agricultural lands in addition to forests, wetlands, and urban habitats. Agricultural development is responsible for removing many of the wetlands cranes need for breeding areas and the critical sources of water at stopover points for migrating cranes. As land is developed, other threats are also introduced such as power line collisions, removal of eggs by humans for food, and exposure to herbicides and pesticides used in farm management.
Wetland conservation projects are being undertaken across the continent. Removing a wetland not only threatens the food source of migrating species including cranes, but may also remove habitat used for flood control, fisheries, and crops that are dependent on getting enough water to grow. As wetlands are removed in one area, water quality in the remaining wetlands may suffer from having to absorb additional runoff and chemicals used on surrounding land.
The species found in this part of the world are each highlighted below with breeding and wintering locations, IUCN status, estimated population & status; and their major threats.
- Siberian Crane, Leucogeranus leucogeranus
- Breeding: north-eastern Siberia
- Winters: Poyang Lake, China
- Critically endangered (IUCN); western birds nearly extinct; eastern birds stable/increasing (~5,500)
- Threats: wetland conversion, environmental contamination in migratory wetlands
- Black-necked Crane, Grus nigricollis
- Breeding: high altitudes of Himalayan Mountains
- Winters: lower elevations in southern China & Bhutan
- Near threatened (IUCN); stable/increasing (~16,500)
- Threats: agriculture development, pollution
- Demoiselle Crane, Anthropoides virgo
- Breeding: central & east Asia; small groups near Black Sea and Turkey
- Winters: central India and north-eastern Africa near Sudan
- Least concern (IUCN), decreasing slowly (~200,000+)
- Threats: habitat loss, illegal hunting, poisoning
- Eurasian Crane, Grus grus
- Breeding: in all of northern Europe & Asia
- Winters: southern Europe, north coast of Africa, India and China
- Least concern (IUCN); stable (~800,000)
- Threats: habitat loss
- Hooded Crane, Grus monacha
- Breeding: south-eastern Russia and northern China
- Winters: mainly on the Japanese island of Kyushu with a few in South Korea and China
- Vulnerable (IUCN); stable (~19,000)
- Threats: disease outbreak given their concentrated numbers on a small island during winter
- Red-Crowned crane, Grus japonensis
- Breeding: large wetlands in north-eastern China & Russia
- Winters: coastal and freshwater marshes of Japan, Korea & China
- Vulnerable (IUCN); stable/increasing (~5,000)
- Threats: land development, pollution, and power lines
- Sarus Crane, Grus antigone antigone, Indian sub-group, Nepal and Pakistan
- Sarus Crane, Grus antigone sharpii, Eastern sub-group, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia
- Sarus Crane, Grus antigone gillae, Australian sub-group, northern Australia
- Populations do not migrate
- Vulnerable (IUCN); stable/decreasing (~25,000)
- Threats: wetland conversion to agricultural land, poisoning
- White-Naped crane, Grus vipio
- Breeding: Mongolia and adjacent areas
- Winters: eastern China and Kyushu Island, using the Korean DMZ (demilitarized zone) for a critical stopover point
- People on both sides of the zone revere the white-naped crane as a symbol of peace and harmony
- Vulnerable (IUCN); some areas increasing and others declining (~11,000)
- Threats: wetland and agricultural conversion, trapping, poisoning
The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is working with many groups of people in all areas being used by cranes. Local communities and policymakers are engaged to discuss projects involving conservation of wetlands, protected areas, and adjacent habitat. The ICF strives to work with the people that live in these areas to improve environmental education, preserve the wetlands and agricultural lands for both people and wildlife, improve and restore wintering sites, and maintain habitat along migration routes. Wildlife scientists work with citizen science groups to gather data from long-term population monitoring of all wildlife species within these habitats.
In the final blog of this series, we will take a look at the remaining seven crane species found outside of Asia.
While the ICF closes to visitors for the winter on October 31st, it is definitely worth a visit next year. To see more information, visit their website by clicking on their name: International Crane Foundation.
Further information can be found in our other blogs by clicking on the name…
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