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| Common Name: | White-naped crane | Family: | Gruidae |
| Latin Name: | Grus vipio | Diet: | Carnivore |
| Type: | Bird | Habitat: | Woodlands, Grasslands, Oceans |
| Native To: | Asia | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Vulnerable |
White-naped cranes at Edinburgh Zoo
Here at Edinburgh Zoo we have two white-naped cranes, one male and one female. The male arrived here from Curraghs Wildlife Park, Isle of Man in October 2007. He hatched in April 1996 and lives with the female in the Waldrapp Ibis enclosure, just south of the African hunting dogs. The female crane came to us from Belgium's Planckendaal Zoo in November 2007.
Where they can be found at Edinburgh Zoo
The white-naped cranes can be found in the aviary south of the African hunting dogs which they share with the Waldrapp ibis and black stork.
White-naped cranes in the wild
The white-naped crane (Grus vipio) is a migratory bird, spending the spring and summer in the forests, marshes and meadows of Eastern China, Mongolia and Russia. Winter is spent on the lakes and coastal flats of North and South Korea and Japan.
Although mostly covered in grey and white feathers, the white-naped crane is still quite distinctive as it has a thick red circle of skin around each eye, a white throat, long, pink legs and a very long beak.
White-naped cranes are very agile and graceful birds, and will dance around, flapping their wings and tossing up sticks and grass with their beaks. This is done not only during courtship rituals but also when agitated.
They have a mixed diet of cereal seeds, fruit, insects, plants, rice grains, roots, tubers and vertebrates depending on where they are at the time.
White-naped cranes are monogamous and on reaching the breeding grounds will seek each other out. The female begins the courtship dance by stretching out her neck and lifting up her head. The male reciprocates and they begin calling to each other.
The two cranes use dried grass to build a nest which is hidden in dense vegetation. The female then lays one or two eggs which are incubated for approximately one month. Once hatched, the chicks are brought food by their parents. When the chicks are approximately ten weeks old they have grown their feathers and are able to fly.
The population of the white-naped crane is in decline due to habitat loss, especially in its breeding grounds. Wetlands have been drained for agriculture and development while fires have destroyed nesting sites. Hunting and pesticide poisoning have also had an effect.
These cranes are now protected throughout their range and an artificial feeding station set up in Japan has helped increase the population. Despite these gains, the white-naped crane is still listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This means that the white-naped crane is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Breeding programme: ESB
IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable
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