Hundreds of endangered black-necked cranes have begun to gather at the Longbao National Nature Reserve, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northeast China's Qinghai Province, before setting out on their annual winter migration.
Under first-class national protection in China, the black-necked cranes, dubbed the "panda of birds," mainly inhabit plateaus, meadows, marshes and river valley swamps at elevations between 2,500 and 5,000 meters. It is the only crane species that breeds and matures at high elevations.
In China, the species is mainly found in the southwest and northwest, including Tibet Autonomous Region and provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan and Qinghai.
The Longbao National Nature Reserve, established in 1984 and covering a total area of 100 square kilometers, boasts several kinds of birds under first-class national protection, such as black-necked cranes, black storks and golden eagles. It's the first national nature reserve established in Qinghai Province and the first breeding reserve for black-necked cranes in China. It is thus also known as the "homeland of black-necked cranes."
Some black-necked cranes are in the waters of their wintering ground, Yunan Province, southwest China, November 13, 2022. /CFP
The black-necked cranes in the reserve start to cluster for winter migration in early October every year. Some flocks begin migration in the middle of October while the latest pack leaves in early December.
(Cover image via CFP)
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