On the Brink - Indian Sarus Crane (Grus antigone antigone)

The Indian Sarus Crane or Grus antigone antigone is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. It is the only resident breeding crane found in India. It is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh which has the highest concentration of these birds in the world (over 6000 individuals). This crane is native to India, Australia, Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam. It is the tallest flying bird in the world standing 152-156 cm tall with a wingspan of 240 cm. Their nests are constructed on water in natural wetlands or in flooded paddy fields The Indian Sarus Crane is omnivorous, feeding on wide range of food items such as aquatic plants including sedge tubers, rice, seeds and other grains, snails and crustaceans. It is suspected to have suffered a rapid population decline, which is projected to continue, as a result of widespread reductions in the extent and quality of its wetland habitats, the effects of pollutants, agricultural intensification and altered rainfall patterns. Public awareness programmes, creation of Sarus watch groups, protection of wetlands, direct reward for the protection of biodiversity, agricultural areas as multifunctional systems to produce food for humans and retain wildlife, encouraging ecotourism are some of the strategies that have been adopted to save Sarus Cranes. The International Crane Foundation works worldwide to conserve cranes, their ecosystems, watersheds, and their flyways.