Siberian Cranes or the Grus Leucogeranus inhabit in the Lake Ayaga of the Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve. In 2004, 4 cranes spent the summer in Lake Ayaga of the NR. Further researches on their breeding etc haven't been made by now. The Gun-Galuut Association made protection fences around the Lake Ayaga as one of the core areas of the NR to protect the Lake from domestic animals and human beings.

Height: 140 cm, 5 ft.
Weight: 6 kg., 13 lbs.
Population: ~2,900-3,000
Trend: Rapid decline
Status: IUCN: CR A2cde, Cites Appendix I, ESA: E; CMS I, II

Identification: Adult forecrown, forehead, face, and sides of the head are bare of feathers and brick-red in color. The plumage is pure white except for the primaries, which are black. Eye color is reddish or pale yellow and legs and toes are reddish pink. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, although males tend to be slightly larger in size and females tend to have shorter beaks than males. Juvenile heads and necks are rusty buff in color. The rest of the plumage is buffy brown, with paler plumage occurring on the throat and chin. Siberian Crane chicks have blue eyes at hatching, but eye color changes at about six months of age to yellow.

Range: This critically endangered species is now only found in two populations, the eastern and western Asia. A central population of Siberian Cranes once nested in western Siberia and wintered in India. The last documented sighting of Siberian Cranes in India during the winter months was in 2002. There is a high probability this population has been recently extirpated. All but a few existing birds belong to the eastern population, which breed in northeastern Siberia and winter along the middle Yangtze River in China. The western population winters at a single site along the south coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran and breeds just south of the Ob River east of the Ural Mountains in Russia.

Habitat & Ecology: Siberian Cranes are the most highly specialized member of the crane family in terms of habitat requirements, morphology, vocalizations, and behavior. It is the most aquatic of the cranes, exclusively using wetlands for nesting, feeding, and roosting, and has behavioral displays that are quite distinct from other crane species.

Mated pairs of cranes, including hooded cranes, engage in unison calling, which is a complex and extended series of coordinated calls. The birds stand in a specific posture, usually with their heads thrown back and beaks skyward during the display. The male always lifts up his wings over his back during the unison call while the female keeps her wings folded at her sides. Siberian Crane males usually initiate the display and utter one call for each female call. All cranes also engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. Dancing can occur at any age and is commonly associated with courtship, however, it is generally believed to be a normal part of motor development for crane s and can serve to thwart aggression, relieve tension, and strengthen the pair bond. The Siberian Crane nests in bogs, marshes, and other wetland types of the lowland tundra, taiga/tundra transition zone, and taiga, preferring wide expanses of shallow fresh water with good visibility. Females usually lay two eggs and incubation (by both sexes) lasts ~29 days. The male takes the primary role in defending the nest against possible danger. Chicks fledge (first flight) at approximately 70-75 days.

Threats: The traditional migratory and wintering habitats of this species are under constant pressure from the demands of the growing human population. These include: agricultural development, wetland drainage, oil exploration, hunting, and water development projects. The western population is primarily threatened by hunting whereas the eastern population is at risk form loss of wetland habitat.

Diet: All cranes are omnivorous. Siberian Cranes eat a wide variety of food items. On the breeding grounds in spring, they eat cranberries, rodents, fish and insects. They have a propensity for digging in wet soils. On migration and on the wintering grounds, they excavate nutrient rich roots and tubers from wetlands. They are predominantly vegetarian outside their breeding season.