Siberian Crane

Common Name	Siberian CraneBirdlife International
Species name	Grus leucogeranusBirdlife International
Family	Gruidae
Genus
Local Name	Country Appearance Local name Brunei Darussalam     Cambodia     China     Indonesia     Japan Yes ソデグロヅル Lao PDR     Malaysia     Mongolia     Myanmar     Philippines     Republic of Korea     Singapore     Thailand     Vietnam

 

Visual and Sound Image

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Siberian Crane

Videos

 

Sounds

 

Identification

140 cm. Large white crane. Adults all white, except for dark red mask extending from bill to behind eye, black primaries, yellow iris and reddish legs. Male slightly larger than female. Juvenile has feathered mask and buff or cinnamon plumage. Voice Flute-like and musical.

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Range Description

Grus leucogeranus breeds in arctic Russia in Yakutia and western Siberia. Three regional populations are recognised, one of which may be extinct. The eastern population breeds between the rivers Kolyma and Yana and south to the Morma mountains. Non-breeding birds summer in Dauria, on the border between Russia, Mongolia5 and China. Birds have also been recorded in summer in central Mongolia25,26. The main wintering sites are in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze river, especially Poyang Hu lake, China. Surveys of the districts and counties around the lake recorded 2,700 individuals in 2006 and 3,750 in 200818,29. It requires a number of important wetlands during migration: in Liaoning province Huanzidong Reservoir in Shenyang region has had 900 Siberian Cranes recorded during autumn migration6, and 1,100 in spring13, and numbers at Wolong Lake peaked at 1,200 in March 200813, while at Momoge Nature Reserve in Jilin province spring totals peaked at 1,156 in May 2007 and 2,183 in April 200811,12. The central population bred on the basin of the Kunovat river, Russia and wintered at Keoladeo National Park, India, however none have been seen at Keoladeo in 2002, and this population may now be extinct; unconfirmed reports of the species have continued from West Siberia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India however. Passage birds are recorded in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan4,16. The western population breeds in the Tyumen District, Russia, in areas such as the Lower Ob River Basin21, and winters in Fereydoon Kenar (recently c.10 birds1, but only one wild bird in 2006/2007 and 2007/200814) and Esbaran in Iran. Birds pass through Azerbaijan on passage3 and use the Volga river delta as a staging post1. The global population is about 3,750, of which over 95% belongs to the eastern population and winters at Poyang Hu15.

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Ecology

Ecology (Behaviour)

This species is migratory7. It arrives on its breeding grounds in late May9, and eggs are generally laid in June9. Breeding occurs in territorial pairs at a density estimated in the 1970s to be around one pair per 625 km2 9. The main autumn migration usually begins towards the end of September9, though birds (thought to be non-breeders8) have been recorded on passage over the Volga delta as late as October-December8. This migration was recorded in the 1960s to occur in groups of 12-15 individuals9. The species arrived on its wintering grounds in Pakistan in October, but seldom earlier than November-December further east8,9. The spring migration commences in late-March or early-April8, with birds travelling in pairs or small groups of up to 109.

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Habitat

It is the most aquatic member of its family, breeding and wintering in wetlands, and shows a general preference for wide expanses of shallow (up to 30 cm) fresh water with good visibility. It discriminates strongly in favour of sites that are infrequently visited by man8. Breeding It breeds in the lowland taiga and taiga-tundra transition zone7 where it occurs in moss-covered marshland9, tidal bogs, marshes and other wetland depressions with unrestricted visibility7. It may also breed on brushland interspersed with woods8. The preferred nesting habitat in Yakutia was found to consist of damp tidal flat with well-developed vegetative cover made up of typical polygonal swamp associations of sedges and cottongrass (Eriophorum) forming sparse, short stands9. 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 hills9. Non-breeding Resting areas and stopovers on migration tend to consist of large, isolated wetlands7. It winters in the shallows and mudflats of seasonal lakes of the Yangtze Basin7, as well as steppes near water, open jheels and swamps9. Those that winter in India and Iran use artificial water impoundments and flooded rice fields7.

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Diet

This species is omnivorous7. 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 animals7. 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 available7.

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Breeding Site

It builds a large mound of grass and sedge 50-80 cm in diameter emerging above water 25-60 cm deep7. It typically lays two eggs but generally does not fledge more than one chick.

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References

BirdLife International (2001). 1. Kanai et al. (2002). 2. G. Sundar in litt. (2004). 3. E. Sultanov in litt. (2004). 4. Bragin (2005). 5. Tseveenmyadag (2005). 6. Zhou Haixiang (2006). Li Fengshan (2003). 7. del Hoyo et al. (1996). 8. Cramp and Simmons (1980). 9. Johnsgard (1983). 10. Harris (2008). 11. Zou Chang-Lin et al. (2007). 12. Zou Chang-Lin et al. (2008). 13. Bai Qing-Quan (2008). 14. S. S. Zadegan in litt. (2008). 15. Hirschfeld (2008). 16. Belyalova and Fundukchiev (2007). 17. Shan Kai et al. (2007). 18. Ji Weitao and Wang Yunbao (2007). 19. Fazeli (2007). 20. Anon (2007). 21. Markin et al. (2007). 22. Prentice and Stishov (2007). 23. Stishov and Bysykatova (2008). 24. Pshennikov and Germogenov (2008). 25. Tseveenmyadag (2007). 26. Tseveenmyadag (2008). 27. Streinikova (2008). 28. Zadegan and Fazeli (2008). 29. Yu Changhao et al. (2008). 30. Zadegan et al. (2008).

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Status

International Status

IUCN Red List Category

CR

Justification

This long-lived crane qualifies as Critically Endangered owing to fears that its global population will decline extremely rapidly over the next three generations following the development of the Three Gorges Dam in China which threatens the wintering grounds used by the vast majority of individuals. If the impacts of this development prove to be less damaging than is feared, the species may warrant downlisting.
<Population justification> our in western subpopulation (E. Ilyashenko 2002); 3,750 counted at Poyang Lake in 2008 (Yu Changhao et al. 2008).
<Trend justification> This species's 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 will change the hydrological pattern of the lower Yangtze river and may have a major impact on the main wintering population, perhaps causing extremely rapid declines in the next three generations.

 

National Status

Country	Category	Reference
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China	E	China Red Data book of Endangered Animals(1998) （Extinct, Extirpated, Endangered, Vulnerable, Rare, Interninate）
Indonesia
Japan
Korea	NA	Korean Red List of Threatened Species(NIBR, 2012)
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Mongolia	CR	Mongolian Red List of Birds(Seidler et al. Eds., 2011)
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam

 

Management

Threat

The key threat is wetland loss and degradation at staging areas and wintering sites through agricultural development, the development of oilfields and increased human utilisation. For example, 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 cranes17. Threats to the eastern flyway include a hydro-electric scheme for the headwaters of the Aldan River basin, the construction of power lines northwards to Yakutsk, and oil and gas prospecting22. Severe drought caused Poyang Lake to shrink dramatically in the winters of 2003-2004 and 2006-200720. Construction of the Three Gorges Dam will change the hydrological pattern of the lower Yangtze river and may have a major impact on the wintering population. Increasing levels of human disturbance are also a problem, particularly at Poyang Hu. Hunting on passage is the key threat to the central and western populations2, and inhibits recovery. Poisoning targeting waterbirds in China, e.g. Huanzidong Reservoir, Shenyang Region, also appears to affect this species. Pesticide use and pollution is a threat in India. Climate change may be a longer term threat to breeding sites, with changes in the permafrost layer causing expansion of lakes and the loss of islands, peninsulas and low-lying shorelines10. The expansion of lakes and subsequent habitat modification has been ongoing in the breeding grounds of the eastern population since the 1950s24.

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Information

No descriptions

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Current Conservation

CITES Appendix I and II. CMS Appendix I and II. It is legally protected in all range states. Range states have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to help protect key wetland sites and the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Crane Foundation launched the Siberian Crane GEF Project in 2003 to promote, develop and implement the conservation of key flyway wetlands across Asia for this species2,7. Researchers monitoring breeding sites in the remote Yakutia region aim to incorporate remote sensing given the difficulties monitoring on the ground23. Efforts to manage water levels at migration staging posts are underway in China2. Key protected areas where it occurs include Kytalyk and Chaygurgino (Russia), Poyang Hu and Dong Dongting Hu (China), and Naurzum(Kazakhstan). The North East Asian Crane Site Network has been established. Captive-raised birds are being released in an effort to maintain the central2 and western populations14. Russian scientists plan to replicate the methodologies that have successfully helped to boost Whooping Crane populations in North America2. Small numbers of birds have been released at Fereydoon Kanar since 2002 - most recently a female released at Fereydoon Kanar in Iran in January 2007 did not return the following winter, and a male released in December 2007 migrated with the single wild male in February 200814. One sighting in March 2008 in Western Siberia may be that of the released male, though it did not return to winter in 2008/200927,28. Another female was released at this site in 2009 and started migration with a wild individual28,30. 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 country19.

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Current Conservation

Identify breeding sites in the Kunovat basin and possibly other areas in north-west Russia. Enforce conservation measures to minimise threats from the Three Gorges Dam to wetlands in the lower Yangtze. Expand the Kytalyk and Chaygurgino Resources Reserves (Russia). Expand the area of Poyang Hu Nature Reserve or establish additional reserves to cover all important wintering areas and manage water-levels. Reduce hunting pressure on the central population.

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Legal Protection

Country	Status	Reference
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Korea	Category II	Wildlife Protection Act
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Mongolia	Very Rare Species	Mongolian Law on Fauna
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam

 

Related Links

• CMS: Convention on Migratory Species
• CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
• the Siberian Crane GEF Project

Range

Geographical Information

Migration Route

 

Asian Waterbird Census

Descriptions

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) was initiated in 1987 and runs in parallel with other waterbird censuses carried out in Africa, Europe, Central and West Asia and Latin America under the umbrella of the International Waterbird Census (IWC), which is organised by Wetlands International.

The AWC takes place annually, during the second and third weeks of January, and is carried out by volunteers interested in collecting information on waterbirds and wetlands as a basis for contributing to their conservation.

Reference: Li, Z.W.D., Bloem, A., Delany S., Martakis G. and Quintero J. O. 2009. Status of Waterbirds in Asia - Results of the Asian Waterbird Census: 1987-2007. Wetlands International, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Census Data

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	2	3	3	2	4	4	0	4	4	4	4	5	5	0	0	0	9	0	0	1	0	9
CAMBODIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	11	0	0	12	12	11	5	1	6	9	6	6
CHINA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual			729	3331	1565	674	635	1	66		22	2425	974	2793	1914	3010	3101	2856	3184	2693	3020	2732
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)			4	2	2	5	3	1	1		1	3	2	2	1	2	2	6	5	3	2	5
The total number of count sites	0	1	34	12	50	60	67	29	6	14	6	15	21	20	14	10	22	45	80	81	59	72
INDONESIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	1	19	8	17	17	15	19	16	0	0	47	12	10	40	34	14	16	15	23
JAPAN	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual															1
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)															1
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	53	39	52	47	20	50	40	47	37	41	37	107	112	103	109	97	159	142	137
LAO PDR	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	2	4	5	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	1	0	0	0	1	0	0
MALAYSIA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	59	68	93	85	17	10	7	10	0	0	20	25	25	25	43	43	82	82	40
MYANMAR	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	5	3	12	17	15	21	20	13	12	2	4	2	0	7	32	47	73	24	31	32	19
PHILIPPINES	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	19	21	34	39	46	47	39	28	29	32	43	38	50	47	56	54	65	108
SINGAPORE	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	0	4	12	17	15	13	14	10	10	6	11	10	10	8	9	9	8	8	7
REPUBLIC OF KOREA	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual															1
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)															1
The total number of count sites	0	0	10	12	22	20	20	15	10	22	25	22	14	68	99	112	118	116	117	123	127	127
THAILAND	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	10	8	3	20	26	12	23	16	17	5	9	3	1	1	7	3	9	26	20	82	99	33
VIETNAM	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
The number of observed individual
The number of observed sites(not all count sites)
The total number of count sites	0	0	0	1	2	0	1	4	0	1	1	0	1	8	2	2	16	4	4	9	6	11

 

Population

Descriptions

 

Population Trend

 

Additional Information

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Climate change species distributions

Other Information

• Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) species/site profile. This species has been identified as an AZE trigger due to its IUCN Red List status and limited range.
• Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Memorandum of Understanding and Conservation Plan
• Detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book
• International Crane Foundation Species Field Guide
• Status, Survey and Conservation Action Plan