Siberian Crane

The Siberian Crane has a red face and pure white plumage, with black wing-tips. It is also the most specialized of the cranes in its habitat requirements for breeding,feeding and roosting: it eats cranberries,insects and fish in its breeding grounds , but is vegetarian during migration and while wintering.

This critically endangered species is now only found in two populations, the eastern and western. 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 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.

Experimental conservation techniques are now being applied to save the Siberian Crane,including the use of microlight aircraft to show young captive-bred cranes the traditional migratory route to Russia to Central Asia.The aircraft lead the young birds on their journey.