On the Trail of the Crane, Part 2 – A Zoom talk by Ralph Todd on 15th November 2023
Following on from his talk last March when he concentrated on the Common Crane, Ralph returned to take a look at some of the other species which he and Brenda have encountered on their travels. Most of these occur in China, Asia and India with two in North America. Of the 15 species of crane, 11 are endangered or vulnerable and one critically endangered.
In 1983 they visited Kenya on a birds and big game safari seeing many new species including the Grey-crowned Crane, an East African species which intrigued them. This is a rather unusual crane with a short bill and toes adapted for running fast over dry grassland and roosting in trees. They do not have an elongated trachea and cannot give a bugling call. Later, on a visit to Western Cape, South Africa, highlights included Southern Right Whales close to the shore, large numbers of African Penguins, and Blue Cranes, one of the smallest cranes and a species in decline.
In 1988 they visited China. This was a year before the Tiananmen Square massacre and in Peking (now Beijing) there was very little wildlife but many birds in cages. Cranes featured very heavily in artwork. When they visited Poyang Lake south of the Yangtze River, a very poor area with primitive accommodation and lots of mud, they saw the critically endangered Siberian Crane.
On a visit to Japan starting on the southern island of Kyushu they saw huge flocks of wintering White-naped and Hooded Cranes, some10,000 Hooded and 5,000 White-naped. Most were concentrated in areas where food was provided. Moving to Hokkaido, the most northerly island, the target species was Steller’s Sea Eagle. People drilled holes in the ice to catch fish and the eagles sat nearby waiting for discards. They also sat around in trees in towns. On Hokkaido they also saw the endangered Red-crowned Cranes which feed on corn and waste grain in the fields and also take food that the local people provide. They roost in water and nest in marshy, reedy areas.
On a trip to India in the Keoladeo Park, Rajasthan, they saw many species including the impressive Sarus Cranes (the tallest flying bird in the world) and the last two Siberian Cranes to overwinter in India. On a visit to Kazakhstan, the group flew to Almaty and moved to the Himalayan Plain where they lived in camps. Here species included Ibisbill, Caspian Plover, a colony of about 5,000 Rose-coloured Starlings and Demoiselle Crane, one of the smaller species with short bill and toes.
Finally, on a trip to the USA they visited the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas and saw the tall, white Whooping Crane. Shooting and habitat destruction brought about a serious decline in numbers. Conservation measures including captive breeding have helped but it remains endangered. At a wildlife refuge at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida they saw a non-migratory population of Sandhill Cranes. Most Sandhill Cranes are migratory and many winter with Snow Geese at the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico where crops are planted for them. Here the cranes and geese roost together and in the morning they saw a wonderful spectacle. The geese left first. They started to cackle and suddenly thousands lifted off in one huge flock making a sound Ralph had never heard
before. Then, as the sun rose, the cranes prepared for takeoff, some with little rings of ice on their legs. Their departure was spread over some 20 minutes.
We thank Ralph for a very enjoyable presentation, introducing us to so many of the world’s cranes, the other wildlife which lives alongside them and some of the cultural experiences which he and Brenda enjoyed.
Helen Baker
