The black-necked crane is a medium-sized crane in Asia that breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan. It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.71 ft) wingspan, and it weighs 5.5 kg (12 lb). It is whitish-gray, with a black head, red crown patch, black upper neck and legs, and white patch to the rear of the eye. It has black primaries and secondaries. Both sexes are similar. Some populations are known to make seasonal movements. It is revered in Buddhist traditions and culturally protected across much of its range. A festival in Bhutan celebrates the bird while the Indian union territory of Ladakh has designated it as the state bird.
Region
Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas
Typical Environment
Breeds on high-altitude peatlands, marshes, and shallow lake margins across the Tibetan Plateau, including parts of Tibet, Qinghai, and Ladakh. In winter it moves to lower, milder valleys in Bhutan, northern India, and southwest China (notably Yunnan and adjacent areas). It favors broad valley bottoms with mosaic wetlands, riverine meadows, and nearby agricultural fields. Nesting occurs in secluded marshes with emergent vegetation, often on small islets or raised hummocks.
Altitude Range
1200–5000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Revered in Buddhist cultures, the black-necked crane is celebrated in Bhutan and protected in parts of the Himalayas. It breeds on high-altitude wetlands of the Tibetan Plateau and winters in lower valleys of Bhutan, India, and southwest China. Major threats include wetland loss, disturbance, and collisions with power lines. Their elaborate courtship dances and loud bugling calls are iconic crane behaviors.
A black-necked crane at the International Crane Foundation
Copy of an illustration in Nikolai Przhevalsky's work where he gave the species its binomial name
From Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan
Black necked crane in Ladakh
A 1938 photograph of a flock in the Brahmaputra valley
100 odd of this species come to India every year for breeding. Photograph taken at Tso Kar, Ladakh, India.
A couple of black-necked Tibetan cranes spotted in 2013 near Yamdrok Lake, Tibet Autonomous Region
Temperament
social and wary
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats; soars on thermals during migration
Social Behavior
Outside breeding, it forms small to medium flocks that roost communally in wetlands. Pairs are monogamous and perform elaborate duet calls and dances. Nests are built on marshy tussocks or islets, and both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Rich, trumpeting bugles carry over long distances, often given in synchronized duets by pairs. Calls become more frequent at dawn and dusk and during displays.
