The Black Necked Crane Of Kashmir

The Black Necked Crane Of Kashmir

Zoological name: Grus nigricollis

Range:
The Black Necked Crane is a rare species of crane found in Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir India. The Black Necked Crane is found in large numbers in Tibet and China.

Appearance and behavior:
The Black Necked Crane is an elegant bird. Its body is covered with whitish-gray feathers. Its neck, face, feet and secondary feathers are black providing its striking appearance. Its long beak is gray-green. The Black Necked Cranes fly together in a characteristic V-shaped formation with each bird flapping its wings in a smooth and graceful movement. The Black Necked Crane has a distinctive call like the sound of a trumpet, which can be heard from some distance away. The courtship dance of the Black Necked Crane is a beautiful sight. A pair of Cranes bonds for life and their courtship is characterized by unison calls, bowing, dancing, flapping of wings and exchanging of bits of grass and twigs. The Black Necked Crane builds its nest on the ground in its wetland habitat. The Black Necked Crane nests in Ladakh in summer and feeds on various roots, aquatic life and shoots in the marshes of Ladakh.

Population:
There are between 5,600 and 6000 Black Necked Cranes worldwide. You could see the rare Black Necked Crane if you're lucky, since it is an elusive bird