Migratory birds forage at a paddy field in Yugan County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang)
NANCHANG, April 4 (Xinhua) -- In a Siberian crane sanctuary beside the Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, a crane called "Xiaoxue" is practicing flying with its friends ahead of the long journey north to Siberia.
Having completed a long period of recuperation, the rescued bird will be heading home, thanks to the efforts of Chinese experts, who cooperate closely with their Russian partners in Siberia.
"Although it's sad to say goodbye, I feel relieved that Xiaoxue has adapted to the wild," said Zhou Haiyan, head of the Wuxing Siberian crane sanctuary in the city of Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province.
Siberian cranes, also known as snow cranes, are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Globally, about 98 percent of such cranes flock to the Poyang Lake to overwinter every year.
In November 2021, due to poor health, Xiaoxue fell behind the flock on its southward migration route. It was then rescued by the wildlife workers in east China's Zhejiang Province.
"After a year of careful treatment and care, Xiaoxue recovered and gained 1.5 kg in weight. It was healthy enough to be released into the wild and migrate back to Siberia with large flocks in the spring," said Wang Zhiru, director of the Jiangxi wildlife rescue center.
In December 2022, Xiaoxue was transported to the Wuxing Siberian crane sanctuary, as it was an ideal place for Xiaoxue to unite with other cranes wintering there. In January this year, it was released into the wild from the sanctuary.
"At the beginning, it was not accepted by its mates, and was even expelled by them. But now it has gradually integrated into the flocks," said Zhou. "Judging from the current monitoring results, it is living well in the wild."
According to Luo Hao, a researcher from the Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve administration, staff from the reserve have put colored bands on the legs of Xiaoxue and other rescued white cranes. "Through these bands, we will be able to identify and track the cranes, to better protect them."
The overwintering of the cranes is also of great concern to Russian researchers. Russia's Kytalyk National Park is at the northern end of Xiaoxue's trip, and is a core breeding ground for the Siberian cranes. The wildlife workers from the Russian park have been informed of the bands, and will update the administration on the cranes' situation.
This exchange of information is part of the cooperation between the China's reserve and the Russian park on protecting the cranes.
In December 2021, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to better protect and monitor the birds. Since then, three online exchange meetings have been held.
According to Maria Vladimirtseva, who works with the Kytalyk National Park, migration is a difficult but crucial time in a crane's life, during which they face many dangers, which particularly threaten the younger birds.
Vladimirtseva said that during the process, the Russian and Chinese staff communicate with each other in a timely manner, and inform each other of the movements of the cranes on the flight path. This has a significant effect on the cranes' breeding and survival.
Through the China-Russia cooperation, Siberian cranes are better protected on their whole migration journey, said Luo, adding that the joint effort also serves as an example of transnational cooperation on protecting migratory birds. ■