Black-necked Crane
Why in news?
Recently, the union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed the Lok Sabha about the important steps taken to protect Black-necked Crane by the government.
Relevance:
GS-03 (Species, Conservation)
About Black-necked Crane:
- Scientific name: Grus nigricollis
- IUCN Status: Near Threatened
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Listed in Schedule I
- CITES : Appendix I
- It is a medium-sized crane.
Distribution and habitat :
- Chiefly in the high-altitude Tibetan plateau.
- Largest numbers found in China followed by Vietnam, Bhutan and India.
- Important habitats in India: Changthang Sanctuary and Tso Kar Wetlands Complex in Ladakh.
- As per a survey conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India in 2016-2017 in the Ladakh region, the population size of black-necked cranes was around 66-69 individuals.
- In Arunachal Pradesh, a small population of approximately 11 individuals arrives during the winter months.
