Description
The Daurian Crane is a medium-sized crane with grey plumage, a distinctive white “cap” stripe running down the back of its neck, and long pink legs. Adults reach about 130 cm in height with a wingspan of roughly 200 cm and weigh around 5–6 kg.

Key Facts

• Scientific name: Antigone vipio

• Average size: height ~130 cm; wingspan ~200 cm

• Weight: ~5–6 kg

• Habitat: wetlands—marshes, wet meadows, river floodplains

Lifestyle
Monogamous pairs perform synchronized “dances” and loud duet calls during courtship. They nest in isolated wet meadows, building platform nests among reeds. Migratory: breed in Mongolia and adjacent regions of Siberia, winter along China’s Yangtze River valley, the Korean Peninsula, and southern Japan.

Conservation Status
Vulnerable (VU). Global population ~6,000–7,000 individuals and declining due to wetland drainage and human disturbance.

Range
Breeding range: eastern Russia (Dauria), Mongolia, northern China; wintering range: southern China, Korea, southern Japan.