08/27/2020 Scientist cat Animals This snow-white, graceful and majestic bird is an adornment of many nature reserves. However, its population in natural conditions is steadily declining. The white crane (Siberian Crane) nests only in limited areas of the northern territories of Russia.
Siberian Crane: external features
The Siberian Crane belongs to the Crane genus, the Crane family. The bird is large - its height ranges from one hundred and forty to one hundred and sixty centimeters, and its weight is about eight kilograms. The wingspan of the crane ranges from two hundred ten to two hundred thirty centimeters, depending on the population.
Only during winter migrations does the white crane make long-distance flights. The Siberian Crane nests and breeds in Russia. These birds are closely monitored by ornithologists.
Appearance and features
Photo: What a white crane looks like
Siberian cranes are very beautiful birds. They are a real decoration for any nursery or zoo. The weight of an adult is from 5.5 to 9 kg. Height from head to toe is 140-160 cm, wingspan is approximately 2 meters. Males are usually much larger than females, and males also have a longer beak. The plumage of Siberian Cranes is predominantly white; the flight feathers on the wings are dark, almost black.
On the head around the beak there is a patch of bare red skin. This is why the bird looks a little scary, although the first impression is justified; white cranes have a rather aggressive disposition. The beak is also red, straight and long. The young ones have light brown plumage. Sometimes there may be red spots on the sides and back. The bird wears its youthful outfit until about 2-2.5 years later, the color of the bird changes to pure white.
The bird has a wary look, the iris of an adult is yellow. The limbs are long and smooth, pinkish in color. There is no feathering on the legs, there are 4 fingers on each limb, the middle and outer fingers are connected by membranes. Vocalization - Siberian Cranes purr very loudly; this purring can be heard from the ground during flight. Siberian cranes also make very loud sounds during their mating dances.
Interesting fact: The crane's voice resembles the sound of a musical instrument. When singing, people perceive the sound as a gentle purr.
White cranes are considered to be the true long-lived birds in the wild; these birds can live up to 70 years. Cranes are capable of bearing offspring from the age of 6-7 years.
Color
The white crane (Siberian crane) has a characteristic feature that makes it difficult to confuse it with another bird - a long red beak with sharp serrations at the ends. There are no feathers around the eyes and beak, and the skin is painted a rich red color and is visible from afar.
On the body the feathers arranged in two rows are white, on the inside of the wings at the ends there are two rows - black. The legs are long and pinkish in color. They are excellent assistants for the Siberian Crane in wetlands: they allow them to move over hummocks in a sticky quagmire.
At first, the eyes of the chicks are blue, then they acquire a yellow tint. The white crane (Siberian crane) lives about seventy years, without forming subspecies.
Habitat
Today there are two populations of cranes of this species. One lives in the Arkhangelsk region, and the second in the Yamalo-Nenets Okrug. This is a very cautious bird - the Siberian Crane. The white crane, a brief description of which is given in the article, tries in every possible way to avoid meeting people, and this is not in vain: after all, poachers in many areas feel with impunity.
If the bird notices a person, it will leave the nest. The Siberian Crane can abandon not only clutches, but also already hatched chicks. Therefore, it is not recommended to disturb birds during this period. The white crane (Siberian Crane), which nests only in Russia, can winter in Azerbaijan and India, Afghanistan and Mongolia, China and Pakistan. At the beginning of March, the cranes return to their homeland.
In Yakutia, the Siberian Crane travels to remote areas of the tundra and chooses swampy swamps and impenetrable forests for placement. Here he lives until winter migration.
WHY IS IT LISTED IN THE RED BOOK
In the wild, there are a maximum of 3,000 white cranes. In captivity, several thousand of these birds are kept. White cranes and Siberian Cranes are on the verge of extinction, so many ornithologists are concerned about this problem and are helping with all their might. The issue of Siberian Crane protection began to be closely addressed in 1970. Since that time, reserve funds and many nurseries have been created where scientists raise cranes from eggs. Ornithologists even train chicks to fly long distances.
Hunting for white cranes is prohibited, since the Siberian Crane is listed in the Red Book of Russia, the Red Book and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Beautiful white crane - Siberian Crane! Unfortunately, we have to talk about it not on the pages of a popular publication about the life of birds, but in the Red Book of the World. Today, there are about 3,000 birds left in the wild, and the number of individuals in the West Siberian population is simply critical - 20 cranes! Several thousand more Siberian Cranes are kept in zoos and nurseries in Russia, Belgium, the USA and China.
Oil production, transformation of the natural environment, drainage of swamps, high demands of the species on certain conditions, strong dependence of birds on the disturbance factor - these are not all the reasons for the sharp decline in numbers. The Siberian Crane avoids humans in every possible way and can leave the nest at the slightest disturbance. Therefore, part of the clutches remains deprived.
For a long time, scientists had very little information regarding the lifestyle, biology and ecology of this species. Only in the early 1970s. XX century, when the International Foundation for the Conservation of Cranes was founded in the USA, the situation moved from a dead point. In 1979, a special nursery for Siberian Cranes appeared at the Oksky State Nature Reserve.
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Nutrition
Many naturalists are interested in the question: “What does the white crane (Siberian Crane) eat?” The diet of this beautiful bird includes both plant and animal foods. Along with aquatic plants: tubers, cotton grass, cranberries and sedges, which Siberian Cranes love very much, they will not refuse to feast on large insects, eggs of other birds, rodents, other people's chicks, invertebrate animals and fish. In winter, during migration, Siberian Cranes limit themselves only to plant food. It should be noted that these birds never harm agricultural land.
Where does the white crane live?
Photo: White crane in flight
White cranes have a very limited habitat. These birds nest only in our country. Currently there are only two populations of white cranes. These populations are isolated from each other. The first western population is distributed in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk region. The second population is considered eastern; the cranes of this population nest in the northern part of Yakutia.
The western population nests near the mouth of the Mezen River, and in the east in the openings of the Kunovat River. These birds can also be found on the Ob. The eastern population likes to nest in the tundra. For nesting, Siberian Cranes choose deserted places with a humid climate. These are river openings, swampy swamps in forests. White cranes are migratory birds and travel vast distances in order to spend the winter in warm countries.
In winter, white cranes can be found in the swamps of India and northern Iran. In our country, Siberian Cranes winter near the Shomal coast, which is located in the Caspian Sea. Yakut cranes love to winter in China, where these birds have chosen a valley near the Yangtze River. During nesting, birds build nests on the water. For nests, choose the most closed places. Bird nests are quite large and consist of sedge. The Siberian Crane's home is a large pile of lush grass in which a depression has been made. The nest usually rises 20 cm above the water level.
Now you know where the white crane lives. Let's see what he eats.
Reproduction
White cranes are monogamous birds. Pairs form when the cranes are six years old. In the middle or end of May, a mature pair of birds chooses a place for future nesting. Like other crane species, the pair celebrates their reunion by singing loudly. The cry of these birds is characteristic - long, high and clear. It distinguishes Siberian Cranes from other species.
The Siberian Crane builds its nests in open water. They are well-compacted platforms made of sedge stems. A prerequisite when choosing a nesting site is the availability of fresh water, and the reservoir must be at least 40 centimeters deep.
It is interesting to watch the mating dance of a couple. At first, both birds throw back their heads and make melodic, complex and drawn-out sounds. Performing his “wedding” song, the male spreads his wings wide, while his chosen one keeps them folded. At this time, the white cranes begin their dance, which consists of bowing, jumping, tossing twigs and flapping their wings.
Both parents are involved in nest construction. Typically the female lays two gray eggs with small dark spots. In a dry year there may be one. The female incubates the offspring for twenty-nine days. At this time, the male vigilantly guards the nest.
The hatched offspring begin a difficult struggle for survival. As a result, only one largest and strongest chick remains. After seventy-five days, it develops brown-red feathers. They turn into snow-white beauties only by the age of three.
Lifestyle and reproduction
The Siberian Crane is much more associated with aquatic habitats than other crane species. This is evidenced by its long legs, which help it easily move through marshy areas, and its thin beak, an excellent tool for catching food. The bird also stands out for its voice - high, clear and drawn-out.
The Siberian Crane eats both plant and animal foods. It consumes berries, underwater parts of some plants, seeds - and at the same time happily feasts on fish, reptiles and amphibians, and small rodents.
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Birds arrive at nesting sites in late spring. The couple vigorously celebrates the formation of their union: they perform beautiful dances and songs, throwing their heads back. The Siberian Crane builds its nest on the water, choosing places that are well hidden from prying eyes. The male and female work together to arrange the future home.
To do this, they collect a lot of succulent grass, usually sedge, which they put in a heap and compact well, and make a small depression in the middle. With a short interval, the female lays two eggs, which she incubates for 29 days. The male also takes part in incubation, but spends more time protecting the nest.
Red Book of Russia: white crane (Siberian crane)
The Siberian Crane is the largest bird of its family. It leads a predominantly aquatic lifestyle, which makes it difficult to save this species from extinction. Now the size of the Yakut population does not exceed three thousand individuals. For West Siberian Siberian Cranes, the situation is critical: there are no more than twenty individuals left.
The issue of protecting white cranes was taken seriously in 1970. Numerous nurseries and reserve funds have been created where ornithologists raise these birds from eggs. They also train the chicks to fly long distances. And yet, the threat remains that the white crane (Siberian crane) will completely disappear. The Red Book (international) also filled its lists with this endangered species. Hunting these birds is completely prohibited.
Description of the species
The Siberian Crane is a large bird with a typical crane-like appearance, almost completely white in color - only the tips of the wings are black. The beak, the area of bare skin on the head, as well as the paws of this crane are red. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the overall size and length of the beak (males are larger than females). Siberian whales have a cute red color from birth.
Siberian crane, white crane (Grus leucogeranus). Photo by: Dahai Z.
Hope for revival
Since the mid-nineties of the last century, more than a hundred white cranes raised in nurseries have been released into the natural environment. Unfortunately, such chicks do not take root well (no more than 20%). The reason for such a high mortality rate is the lack of navigational orientation, as well as flight training, which is given by parents in natural conditions.
American scientists tried to correct this problem. They set up an experiment, the essence of which was to guide the chicks along a route using motorized hang gliders. In Russia they developed a similar program, which they called “Flight of Hope”.
Five motorized hang gliders were built in 2006, and with their help the young Siberian Cranes were taken along a long route from Yamal to Uzbekistan, where the gray cranes lived, and the Siberian Cranes went with them to spend the winter. In 2012, President V. Putin participated in such a program. But for some reason, this time the gray cranes did not accept the Siberian Cranes, and ornithologists were forced to bring seven chicks to the Belozersky reserve in Tyumen.
Interesting Facts
- In India, the Siberian Crane is called the lily bird. Indira Gandhi issued a decree (1981), according to which the Keoladeo Park was created in the wintering place of white cranes, where the strictest regime is observed and favorable conditions are created for the protection of these magnificent birds.
- The white crane (Siberian Crane) travels the longest distance compared to other types of cranes: more than five and a half thousand kilometers. Twice a year these cranes fly over nine countries.
- In Dagestan, whose territory the Siberian Cranes cross during migration, a beautiful legend has appeared that the Siberian Cranes are the souls of fallen warriors. The legend formed the basis of a famous song, the words of which were written by Rasul Gamzatov.
- During the mating season, white cranes sleep no more than two hours a day.
- For the Mansi and Khanty peoples, the white crane is a sacred bird, a family totem, and an indispensable character in all ritual ceremonies.
- The Khanty will never bother the Siberian Crane: there is an unspoken taboo on visiting the places where white cranes nest in the spring and summer.
- Ornithologists consider the most effective methods of breeding these birds to be the method of “foster parents” and raising young animals in the reserve. In the first case, the eggs of white cranes can be placed in the nests of gray cranes. In the second, the chicks are raised in a reserve, isolated from human contact. They are then released to adult wild cranes.
Ornithologists continue to develop measures aimed at preserving this magnificent bird. We hope that the white crane (Siberian crane), the description of which we presented in this article, will be preserved and the beautiful bird will delight us with its appearance for a long time.
Source: fb.ru
animals, crane, nature, Siberian Crane
Character and lifestyle
Of all the other representatives of the crane family, it is the Siberian Crane that stands out for the high demands it places on its habitat. Perhaps that is why they are currently on the verge of extinction.
Although it is safe to say about the white crane that this bird is considered very timid and avoids close contact with humans, at the same time it can be extremely aggressive if there is a direct threat to its home or its own life.
White crane in flight
The Siberian Crane is active almost throughout the day, devoting no more than two hours to sleep, during which it stands on one leg, hiding the other in the feathers on its belly. During the resting period, the head is located directly under the wing.
Since Siberian Cranes are very cautious birds, they usually choose a place to sleep right in the middle of the water surface, away from bushes and other shelters behind which predators can hide.
Despite the fact that these birds are very active and sleep only a couple of hours a day, and are also kind of champions in the range of seasonal migrations (the duration of flights often reaches six thousand kilometers), during the wintering period they are not so active, and at night They prefer to rest for days.
The cry of white cranes is very different from all other members of the family, and is drawn out, high and clear.
Listen to the cry of the white crane
