Migration routes and stopover sites of Black-necked Cranes determined by satellite tracking

Abstract

Because their breeding and wintering areas are in remote locations, little is known about the biology of Black‐necked Cranes (Grus nigricollis), including their migratory behavior. Using satellite telemetry, we monitored the migration of Black‐necked Cranes (N= 6) in China to determine migration routes and the location of stopover sites. From 2005 to 2007, four cranes were tracked during two spring migrations and one fall migration, one was tracked during one spring and one fall migration, and one was tracked during one spring migration. On average, the cranes made seven flights over a 5‐d period to migrate 651 km to breeding areas in the spring. In the fall, birds averaged six flights in 5 d to migrate 694 km. The routes traveled by cranes during spring and autumn migration were similar. Both the migration distances and duration of migration are the shortest reported for any crane species to date. Most stopover sites were in areas along rivers and close to wetlands in the Daliang Mountains and the Ruoergai Plateau. Conservation measures are needed to reduce habitat loss (wetland and pasture) in the Daliang Mountains and establish a reserve for stopover sites in the Ruoergai marshes, such as Longriba and Bai River in Hongyuan County.

Terrestrial animal tracking as an eye on life and planet

“…Modern GPS tags with solar panels on migrating birds send location estimates recorded every second streaming live through the phone network (8). Maps of migratory flyways can now plot exact routes across continents and identify critical stopover points (41) (Fig. 1).…”

Flight mode affects allometry of migration range in birds

“…), whereas black‐necked cranes Grus nigricollis complete their migration cycle within the southern part of China (Qian et al . ). How can this variation be explained?…”

“…Nevertheless, there are remarkable interspecific variations in migration ranges. Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea migrate annually between Greenland and the Southern Ocean, which are almost the opposite ends of the Earth (Egevang et al 2010), whereas black-necked cranes Grus nigricollis complete their migration cycle within the southern part of China (Qian et al 2009). How can this variation be explained?…”

Winter diet and food selection of the Black-necked CraneGrus nigricollisin Dashanbao, Yunnan, China

“…The cranes migrate short distances to winter in the lower altitude (primarily 2,000–3,200 m) Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau (Harris & Mirande, 2013). Through telemetry and banding data, it has become clear that the birds using the Eastern migratory route (in the following referred to as the Eastern Black-necked Cranes) breed in northern Sichuan and southern Gansu provinces and mainly winter in northeast Yunnan and southwest Guizhou (Li & Li, 2005; Qian et al, 2009). More than 50% of the wild populations of this species are currently suffering due to significant habitat destruction resulting from grassland degeneration (Li & Li, 2012) and conventional agricultural practices that have decreased the diversity of available food types for this species in northeast Yunnan.…”

“…This information may facilitate the development of strategies to protect the Eastern Black-necked Crane, whose largest population winters in their most important wintering sites in the Dashanbao National Nature Reserve on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau (Li & Yang, 2002; Qian et al, 2009). In this report, we provided a quantitative and comprehensive assessment of the cranes’ wintering diet, which included domestic food crops, animal-based foods, and wild plants.…”