First black-necked cranes arrive in Yunnan for wintering

4 black-necked cranes were spotted at the Napahai Lake nature reserve in northwest Yunnan’s Shangri-la city by the reserve monitors on September 26. They were the first group of cranes here in the province for wintering.

The black-necked cranes spotted. (Photo by Luo Jun/Yunnan Daily)

An endangered species worldwide, the black-necked crane belongs to a first-class species under state protection in China. They are as rare as the pandas. The Napa Lake is an important habitat for them. With great effort in protection, the number of them has increased to 387 in 2021 from only 61 in 1984.

A close-up shot of two black-necked cranes. (Photo by Luo Jun/Yunnan Daily)

As the eco-environment in Napahai improved, the migrant birds has enjoyed their life here in recent years. With more birds coming for wintering or summering, the place is praised as a “heaven for birds”.

Source: Yunnan Daily; Trans-editing by Wangyunya