The white-naped crane, Antigone vipio, is a graceful bird within the crane family, Gruidae. This large species typically measures between 112 to 125 centimeters (44-49 inches) in length and stands approximately 130 centimeters (4.3 feet) tall, weighing around 5.6 kilograms (12 pounds). Its appearance is characterized by a prominent white nape, a grey and white striped neck, and a distinct red patch around its eyes.
Habitat and Diet
White-naped cranes are native to East Asia, with their range including northern Mongolia, southern Siberia, Korea, Japan, and central China. They breed in northeastern Mongolia, northeastern China, and adjacent parts of southeastern Russia. These birds prefer shallow wetlands, wet sedge meadows, and reedbeds found in broad river valleys, lake depressions, and boggy upland wetlands. During winter, they can be found in freshwater lakes, agricultural fields, and occasionally coastal flats.
The diet of the white-naped crane is omnivorous, adapting to seasonal availability. During the breeding season, they primarily consume wetland plants, tubers, and roots. Outside the breeding season, their diet expands to include rice, cereal grains, and waste grains found in agricultural areas. They also eat insects, small vertebrates like amphibians and rodents, seeds, and other plant matter by digging.
Preserving the Species
The white-naped crane is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimated wild population of 3,700 to 6,500 individuals. Primary threats include habitat loss and degradation, due to the conversion of wetlands into farmland, urban development, and dam construction. Illegal hunting, trapping, poisoning, and human disturbance also contribute to population declines. Climate change also impacts breeding sites through altered hydrology and increased drought.
Conservation efforts are underway across their range to protect the white-naped crane. All countries within its distribution provide legal protection and have established protected areas. Initiatives include supporting water management plans to sustain crane habitats and preserve wetlands in regions like the Amur-Heilong Basin of Russia and China.
Collaborative research and monitoring activities are being conducted, including a recent memorandum of strategic cooperation signed between nature reserves in Mongolia and China to protect nesting and breeding areas. Artificial feeding stations in Japan have shown success in increasing wintering populations. Efforts are also being made to develop a national Crane Conservation Strategy and Action Plan in China, to upgrade the white-naped crane to a national first-class protected species.
Distinctive Characteristics
White-naped cranes exhibit unique physical traits, including long pinkish legs and a long, greenish-yellow beak. Their vocalizations are varied, ranging from a growling contact call to high-pitched alarm calls. Mated pairs engage in a “unison call,” a complex and coordinated duet where the female typically utters two calls for each male call, serving to strengthen their bond and assert territory.
The species displays social behavior, often forming lifelong pair bonds. They are observed in flocks, particularly during migration, sometimes alongside other crane species. Their migratory patterns are extensive; the western population breeds in Mongolia and winters at Poyang Lake in China, while the eastern population breeds in the Amur region of China and Russia, wintering in Korea and Japan.