Black-necked Crane

The Black-necked Crane is distributed in Pakistan, China, Himalayan regions of the Republic of India, Bhutan and Vietnam. It breeds on the Tibetan Plateau, with a small population in adjacent Ladakh, and Kashmir valleys. It has therefore been designated as the State bird of Jammu and Kashmir. It has six wintering areas, mostly at lower altitudes in China, notably at Caohai Lake, but it also winters in Bhutan. In Jammu and Kashmir, the crane breeds near the high altitude lakes of Ladakh such as Tso Kar Lake. The Black-necked Crane is one of the spiritual creatures for the people of the area and is pictured alongside many of their deities in the monasteries of the region.
The species generally lives in a defined area, but will fly on a daily and seasonal basis as far as several dozen kilometers. In the dry season (non-breeding time) large flocks of as many as several hundred birds are formed. During the breeding season, a single pair nests within territories of 0.5-1 square kilometers. Mostly diurnal, they sleep at night while standing on one or other leg, preferably in water. Black crowned cranes usually feed in the mornings and afternoons, with plenty of time for other activities. They spend much time preening, as do all birds. These cranes look for food either singly, in pairs or with a small group. They peck on the surface rather than digging into the soil. During drier spells they tend to feed near livestock, where invertebrates are in abundance.
Black crowned cranes are omnivores and will eat anything small enough that they can catch, including snails, insects, crabs, lizards, amphibians and snakes. They also eat seeds and fruit.