White-naped Crane or Grus vipio is seen in the Gun-Galuut Nature Reserve's Wetland Ayagiin Burd. Every year a pair of White-naped Cranes spend the summer in the NR. Last summer, they get a young one! Further, researches on their breeding haven't been made by now. The Gun-Galuut Association made protection fences around the Lake Ayaga and its wetland as the core areas of the NR to protect the Lake from domestic animals and human beings.

In 2005, we are having 5 White-naped Cranes! Conservation on these wonderful birds is vital.

Height: ~130 cm, 4 ft.
Weight: ~5.6 kg, 12 lbs.
Population: ~4900-5300
Trend: Declining
Status: IUCN: VU A2ce, C1; ESA: E; Cites Appendix I; CMS I, II

Identification: White-naped Cranes are the only crane species with pinkish legs and a dark gray and white striped neck. The white hind neck and nape, surrounded by an extensively reddish face patch, also serve to identify this species Adult plumage is dark gray and wings and wing coverts are silvery gray. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, although in breeding pairs males tend to be slightly larger in size than females. Juvenile’s heads and necks are covered with cinnamon brown feathers while the tail and flight feather are blackish gray.

Range: White-naped Cranes breed in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and adjacent areas of southeastern Russia. Birds in the western portion of the breeding range migrate south through China, resting at areas on the Yellow River delta, and wintering at wetlands in the middle Yangtze River valley. Approximately 2,000 birds in the eastern portion of the breeding range migrate south through the Korean peninsula. Several hundred remain on wintering grounds in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The remainder continues on to the Japanese island of Kyushu where they rely heavily upon an artificial feeding station located outside the city of Izumi.

Habitat & Ecology: Breeding habitat includes shallow wetlands and wet meadows in broad river valleys, along lake edges, and in lowland steppes or mixed forest-steppe areas. White-naped Cranes nest, roost, and feed in shallow wetlands and along wetland edges, foraging in adjacent grasslands or farmlands. During migration and on their wintering grounds, they use rice paddies, mudflats, other wetlands and agricultural fields. White-naped Cranes are excellent diggers. The White-naped Crane is often found in the company of other crane species that also occur within their range, including Red-crowned, Hooded, Demoiselle, and Eurasian Cranes. Mated pairs of cranes, including White-naped 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. In White-naped Cranes, the female initiates the display and utters two calls for each male call. The male always lifts up his wings over his back during the unison call while the female keeps her wings folded at her sides. All cranes 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 cranes and can serve to thwart aggression, relieve tension, and strengthen the pair bond. Nests are mounds of dried sedges and grasses in open wetlands. Females usually lay two eggs and incubation (by both sexes) lasts 28-32 days. The male takes the primary role in defending the nest against possible danger. Chicks fledge (first flight) at 70-75 days.

Diet: All cranes are omnivorous. White-naped Cranes feed on insects, small vertebrates, seeds, roots and tubers, wetland plants, and waste grains. At the artificial feeding station at Izumi in Japan, White-naped cranes thrive upon rice and other cereal grains. In the Han River estuary (Korea) and at Poyang Lake (China) they excavate the tubers of several species of sedges.

Threats: Habitat loss and degradation are critical problems throughout the range of the White-naped Crane. Destruction of wetlands due to agricultural expansion in the breeding range poses the most significant threat. Critical habitat is also threatened by a proposed series of dams in the Amur River basin and the Three Gorges Dam in China. The possibility of a military conflict in the Korean DMZ poses an additional threat, while the high concentration of cranes at the Izumi Feeding Station in Japan increases the risk of a serious disease outbreak.