Gaoligong Mountain in southwest China's Yunnan Province is a kingdom of biodiversity. But even for this area, the black-necked crane is a rare guest. In the end of November, two villagers in Gongshan County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, reported that they saw a beautiful large bird roaming in the farmland. Staff of local natural reserve confirmed it was a black-necked crane, which was never spotted before in the area. 

According to IUCN red list, there are only 6,600 to 6,800 black-necked cranes worldwide, mostly distributed in China. The species is the only crane who spend its whole life in high-altitude areas. The migratory bird fly from breeding spot to wintering habitat every year, and Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture may be one of their stopovers. 

The black-necked crane is evaluated as a vulnerable species in IUCN red list. In China, it is under first-class national protection. Gaoligong National Nature Reserve management staff has ensured that they will strengthen daily patrols, keep monitoring and protecting black-necked cranes as well as other migratory birds. 

(Cover image a still from the video, edited by An Qi)

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