Black-necked cranes are usually seen in pairs (Credit: Niazul Khan, BNHS)

Hanle, Ladakh:

The endangered black-necked cranes have been sighted high in the Himalayan wetlands at Hanle in Ladakh at about 4,500 meters altitude. These migratory birds that breed in the Himalayas are listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby giving them the highest degree of protection.

NDTV’s Pallava Bagla, who is in Ladakh chasing stars and galaxies, had the rare sighting of black-necked cranes. They are also the state bird of Ladakh.

The local population in the Changthang region of Ladakh is mostly Buddhists, and they venerate these birds, which also are part of the paintings in old monasteries.

Black-necked cranes pair for life and usually rear 1-2 chicks a year. They are approximately 135 centimetres high and have a wing span of 62-64 centimetres. Their grey-coloured body is topped with a black neck and has a red patch above the eye.

They are usually seen in pairs with chicks or in small groups feeding in the wetlands of the River Indus in Ladakh. 

In India, very small populations of black-necked cranes can be found in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Globally, they have been sighted in Bhutan, China and Nepal. 

As per the survey conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, in 2016-2017 in the Ladakh region, the population size of these birds was around 66-69 individuals. 

In Arunachal Pradesh, a small population of approximately 11 individuals arrives during the winter months.

The black-necked crane breeding sites are protected under the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. Interestingly, the same sanctuary also offers a worthy home to the Indian Astronomical Observatory, which houses the 2-meter class Himalayan Chandra Telescope and is a globally renowned site for astronomy and astrophysics.

Dogs Are “Serious” Threat To Black-Necked Cranes

Black-necked cranes face a “serious” threat from free-ranging dogs, Kishor Rithe, the Director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) told NDTV. He said that they are monitoring the population of these birds at Nyoma, Yaya Tsi, Tsokar and Puga in Ladakh.

“The intensity of free-ranging dog threat was very high this year at all wetlands,” he said.

Sajad Hussain, the chief conservator of forests in Ladakh, also called dogs a “big menace”.

“Most of these dogs thrive on the food waste thrown by the large detachments of security forces posted along the China border,” he said, adding that earlier the Indian armed forces were active in protecting these birds by deploying guards to protect the nesting sites.

He said the locals still live “from hand to mouth” and have no habit of wasting food.