Crane Outbreak

            One of the many animals that faces extinction is the Hooded Crane. The Crane is a bird that is found in the Southeastern part of Russia and the Northern areas of China. The hooded crane can grow up to be about three feet tall and weigh around 8 lbs. The male and female cranes have unfeathered heads that are red and black, with white necks and rest of the body black. The male and female crane usually mate after what is called a unison calling, which is when both male and female birds give out coordinated calls to each other. Once the cranes have mated, the female can produce two eggs. The nests are made out of moss and leaves and are mostly located in forested wetlands. The first hooded crane nest was not found until 1974, which shows how isolated the nests are built from human society.

            The hooded crane’s biggest threat is the lost of winter grounds. During the winters the hooded crane migrates from China to the Japanese island of Kyushu. The grounds in which they flock during the winter have been taken over by human buildings and agricultural farms. The crane flocks are now more vulnerable to disease outbreaks due to the fact that many flocks are forced to share the same area with other migrating crane flocks. An outbreak can cause half of the hooded crane population to die. The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is an organization in Japan that is in charge of protecting all types of cranes that migrate to Japan during the winter. The ICF is now trying to pass a law that will help preserve winter grounds and create more of them in Asia so that all cranes migrate and breed without any danger.