The Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is a medium-sized crane in Asia that breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and winters mainly in remote parts of India and Bhutan.

A festival in Bhutan celebrates the bird while the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir considers it as the state bird. Bhutan has taken special care to protect this species and has established the Phobjikha Conservation Area covering 163 square kilometres (63 sq mi) of the valley under the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN) and for the purpose of conservation management. The conservation area was established by Bhutan in the Phobjika Valley in 2003, and RSPN has the mandate to protect not only the Black-necked Cranes but also 13 other vulnerable species. The cranes, which used to be hunted in Bhutan till 1980 are now totally protected, with the Government of Bhutan enacting a law under which any person killing a crane would invite life term jail sentence.

In Bhutan, the Black-necked Cranes have a celebrity status, as witnessed by the Crane Festival held every year on 12 November, soon after their arrival from the Tibetan Plateau, in the courtyards of the Gangten Gonpa in Phobjika Valley. Many tourists also visit the valley to witness this festival.

It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.8 ft) wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg (12 lbs). It is whitish-gray, with a black head, red crown patch, black upper neck and legs, and white patch to the rear of the eye. It has black primaries and secondaries. Both sexes are similar. Some populations are known to make seasonal movements. It is revered in Buddhist traditions and culturally protected across much of its range.

The Black-necked Crane summers mainly in the high altitude Tibetan Plateau. The breeding areas are alpine meadows, lakeside and riverine marshes and river valleys. They also make use of barley and wheat fields in these areas. Wintering areas tend to be in sheltered valleys or lower altitudes. The largest populations are in China with smaller numbers extending into Vietnam, Bhutan and India. Small populations have been noted in northern Sikkim. A small group of 20 to 40 was once known to regularly visit the Subansiri area in the Apa Tani valley until 1975 and vagrants have been recorded in Nepal.

Currently, the Black-necked Crane winters in small numbers in two valleys of western Arunachal Pradesh, India. These are Sangti and Zemithang.

Black-necked Cranes forage on the ground in small groups, often with one bird acting as a sentinel. In winter, the groups arrive and leave the feeding grounds together, but may split into family groups, each group keeping their own small feeding territories in a big marshes or fields. They spend nearly 75% of the day foraging with peak feeding in the early morning and late afternoon.

Like many other crane species, they are believed to form long-lasting pair bonds and dancing displays are made during the breeding season.The estimated population of the Black-necked Crane is between 8800 and 11000 individuals. These birds are legally protected in China, India and Bhutan. However habitat modification, drying of lakes and agriculture are threats to the populations.Populations in Bhutan are well protected both culturally and legally although some disturbance from tourism exists.

The Black-necked Crane is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I and II of CITES.

source - Wikipedia

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