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In the wetlands of northern Iran, near the Caspian Sea, a lone Siberian crane used to spend the winter. His name was Omid, Persian for “hope,” and he was thought to be the last surviving wild Siberian crane in the western population, which migrates from western Siberia to India and Iran.

In 2022, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) released a captive-bred Siberian crane named Roya, Persian for “dream,” into Omid’s breeding grounds in Siberia in the hope that he would teach her the ancient migration route and stopover sites. But Omid has been missing since 2023. Rich Beilfuss, CEO of the ICF, which works to protect the Siberian crane, said there might still be a bird in Iran, but the western population of Siberian cranes is now "functionally extinct,” impacted by hunting and development.

The species is classified as critically endangered and its survival now depends solely on its eastern populations. Fortunately, thanks to conservation efforts, these are thriving. According to the ICF, in 2015, their numbers were estimated at less than 3,500 birds. Now, it believes there are almost 7,000.

Exact numbers are difficult to determine – the eastern population, which migrates from Arctic Russia to China, breeds in wetlands in the far north of Siberia, making access for surveys almost impossible, according to Beilfuss. However, he remains positive about its future: “the trend over time is clear – there are more and more birds coming back.”

Every fall, adult cranes and their newly fledged young set off from their breeding grounds in Siberia, heading to China’s Poyang Lake. According to one study their annual cycle north and south will cover around 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles). They rely on wetlands along the way to rest and refuel.
Every fall, adult cranes and their newly fledged young set off from their breeding grounds in Siberia, heading to China’s Poyang Lake. According to one study their annual cycle north and south will cover around 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles). They rely on wetlands along the way to rest and refuel.
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Mated pairs perform duets with each other, known as unison calls, which strengthens their bond and helps to defend their territory. While they sometimes form small flocks throughout winter, they are generally territorial and stay in pairs during the breeding season.
Mated pairs perform duets with each other, known as unison calls, which strengthens their bond and helps to defend their territory. While they sometimes form small flocks throughout winter, they are generally territorial and stay in pairs during the breeding season.
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The continued threat of hunting in the western corridor has made the ICF reluctant to attempt to reintroduce the cranes. Crane hunting remains popular in many countries along the route, in particular in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where overhunting is threating the population of the Demoiselle crane. The ICF is currently working with local religious leaders in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to try to make the route safe again, so that they can begin a reintroduction program. However, until the safety of the birds can be guaranteed, they will not start. “We don’t want to raise birds for slaughter,” Beilfuss told CNN.
The continued threat of hunting in the western corridor has made the ICF reluctant to attempt to reintroduce the cranes. Crane hunting remains popular in many countries along the route, in particular in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where overhunting is threating the population of the Demoiselle crane. The ICF is currently working with local religious leaders in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to try to make the route safe again, so that they can begin a reintroduction program. However, until the safety of the birds can be guaranteed, they will not start. “We don’t want to raise birds for slaughter,” Beilfuss told CNN.
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The eastern population has not been subjected to the same hunting pressure. Many of the wetlands that the birds use to rest and refuel during their migration have been made into protected areas. Jilin Momoge National Nature Reserve, where in some years, up to 97% of all migrating Siberian cranes have stopped on their journey, was declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Chinese government.
The eastern population has not been subjected to the same hunting pressure. Many of the wetlands that the birds use to rest and refuel during their migration have been made into protected areas. Jilin Momoge National Nature Reserve, where in some years, up to 97% of all migrating Siberian cranes have stopped on their journey, was declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Chinese government.
Zhang Liyun/Xinhua/Sipa
The destruction of the western population means that now, almost every Siberian crane spends the winter at Poyang Lake in China. The lake’s clear waters and its seasonal ebb and flow means that the water celery that the cranes eat grows abundantly. However, a proposed dam on the lake, which conservations say would <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fphys.org%2Fnews%2F2022-12-threaten-china-migratory-bird-haven.html" target="_blank">disrupt the ecosystem</a>, could threaten the crane’s food supply in their last haven.
The destruction of the western population means that now, almost every Siberian crane spends the winter at Poyang Lake in China. The lake’s clear waters and its seasonal ebb and flow means that the water celery that the cranes eat grows abundantly. However, a proposed dam on the lake, which conservations say would disrupt the ecosystem, could threaten the crane’s food supply in their last haven.
International Crane Foundation
The dam, Beilfuss said, is concerning, but the cranes have proved resilient in the past. In years when there has been a lack of food in the lake, the cranes have taken to the farms in the surrounding countryside. He said that farmers, far from being angry about their crops being eaten, set up makeshift viewing platforms for tourists. The cranes are popular in China, and the ICF works with schools along their migration route to teach children about the birds. While the cranes still face many threats, Beilfuss has hope for the future of the species.
The dam, Beilfuss said, is concerning, but the cranes have proved resilient in the past. In years when there has been a lack of food in the lake, the cranes have taken to the farms in the surrounding countryside. He said that farmers, far from being angry about their crops being eaten, set up makeshift viewing platforms for tourists. The cranes are popular in China, and the ICF works with schools along their migration route to teach children about the birds. While the cranes still face many threats, Beilfuss has hope for the future of the species.
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