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WHITE-NAPED CRANE
 
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Gruidae
Genus species: Grus vipio
DESCRIPTION
Total population of white-naped cranes is estimated at 4,900 to 5,300.
White-naped cranes are an important symbol in oriental art and folklore.
HABITAT
Prefer wetland edges and adjacent grasslands
Breed in the Amur River basin of eastern Russia and China
Winter in the Koreas, southern Japan and in east central China
DIET
During migration and on their wintering grounds, they use rice paddies, mudflats, other wetlands, and agricultural fields where they feed on waste grains, seeds and tubers.
BEHAVIOR
It is believed that crane dancing is a way for them to release nervous energy and a courtship ritual contributing to the synchronization of breeding cycles between pairs.
REPRODUCTION
Nest and feed in shallow wetlands and wet meadows in broad river valleys, along lake edges, and in lowland steppes or mixed forest-steppe, foraging in adjacent grasslands or farmlands.
PREDATORS
Humans
CONSERVATION
Are the fourth rarest crane, although numbers have increased to about 5,000
Wetland destruction for agricultural expansion is the primary threat to this bird. Hunting is a threat as well.
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