A long journey to Bhutan

Not only Black-necked Cranes (Grus nigricollis) are attracted to the green valleys in Bhutan in winter. Dr. Günter Nowald, CEO of Crane Conservation Germany, enjoyed the mountainous landscape of “the Kingdom of Happiness” in January. However, he was not on vacation. The aim of his journey was to increase the knowledge about the rare Black-necked Crane.

Black-necked Cranes were first described at the end of the 19^th century and still little is known about this species. They are in a similar size and coloration as the Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) but with nearly complete black head and neck. Their distribution is around the Plateau of Tibet but little is known about their exact home range.

Therefore, Crane Conservation Germany in cooperation with NABU International and the Royal Society of the Protection of Nature from Bhutan started a project in 2019 to protect Black-necked Cranes. The project was founded by the BMU ("Research and Conservation of Black-necked Cranes in Bhutan", project reference number: N I 3 - 70122-1/46).

This January, five additional cranes were equipped with modern GPS-transmitters to record the birds movement. Such data are very important to detect breeding and staging sites, as well as migration routes. This information will finally be used for conservation measurement plans for this vulnerable crane species in Bhutan.

If you want to support the protection of cranes you could become part of our life-project. As a godparent of a crane, fitted with a GPS-transmitter, you can follow your crane “life” at a special website and you receive regular written updates about the crane.